as a noun and in a culinary context, refers to a condiment or highly flavoured item of food taken with plainer food to add flavour and interest to it. An English example would be a small serving of pickled vegetables taken with plain bread and cheese.
A condiment may be a relish. However, it is more usual to refer to a condiment, e.g. mustard, as a condiment. Condiments are normally taken in small quantities, whereas relishes often come in mouthfuls and can usually be taken in conjunction with the main food, not necessarily in or on it; no one would just eat a spoonful of mustard, whereas one might very well do this with a sambal (corresponding closely to the meaning of relish) or chutney.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
