Home / February

A little reason to celebrate

National Tartar Sauce Day

Food · 44 days before Easter

Tartar sauce, the creamy, tangy condiment made from mayonnaise and chopped pickles that sits beside fried fish, clam strips and fish sandwiches.

National Tartar Sauce Day falls on Friday, February 12, 2027. That is 108 days away.

Tartar sauce is a cold, creamy condiment built on mayonnaise, with chopped pickles or relish stirred through it. Many versions add capers, a squeeze of lemon, onion or fresh herbs such as dill or parsley. It is pale, a little lumpy, and sharper than it looks.

Its natural home is next to fried seafood. A basket of fish and chips, a plate of fried clams or a breaded fish sandwich often arrives with a small paper cup of it on the side. The tang of the pickles and lemon cuts through the richness of the batter, which is why the two keep showing up together.

Every family and fish shack seems to have its own ratio. Some like it thick and mild, others load it with relish until it is closer to a pickle salad held together by mayonnaise. Sweet relish gives a softer, rounder flavor, while dill pickles and capers push it toward salty and bright.

It is also one of the easier sauces to make at home. Stir the ingredients together in a bowl, taste, adjust, and let it rest in the refrigerator for a while so the flavors settle into each other. It goes well with crab cakes, fried shrimp and roasted potatoes too, and some people spread it on a burger instead of plain mayonnaise.

Ways to celebrate

• Mix a small batch at home with mayonnaise, chopped pickles and lemon.
• Try it on something new, like roasted potatoes or a burger.
• Compare sweet relish and dill pickle versions side by side.
• Share your family's tartar sauce ratio with a friend.

Dates

All national days on February 12

Also on February 12

• National Plum Pudding Day
• Friday Fish Fry Day
• Lincoln's Birthday
• National Lost Penny Day

Categories: Food days