Asia South Asia South Asia has a large variety of pickles (known as
achar (अचार, اچار) in Nepali, Assamese, Bengali, Hindi (अचार), Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu (اچار)
uppinakaayi in Kannada,
lonacha (लोणचं) in Marathi,
uppilittathu or
achar in
Malayalam,
oorukai in
Tamil,
pacchadi (పచ్చడి) or
ooragaya (ఊరగాయ) in
Telugu, which are mainly made from varieties of mango,
lemon,
lime, gongura (a sour leafy shrub),
tamarind, Indian gooseberry (amla), and chilli. Vegetables such as eggplant, carrots, cauliflower, tomato, bitter gourd, green tamarind, ginger, garlic, onion, and citron are also occasionally used. These fruits and vegetables are mixed with ingredients such as salt, spices, and vegetable oils. The pickling process is completed by placing filled jars in the sun to mature. The sun's heat destroys moulds and microbes which could spoil the pickles. In
Sri Lanka, a date and shallot pickle,
achcharu, is traditionally prepared from carrots, chilli powder, shallots and ground dates mixed with garlic, crushed fresh ginger, green chilis, mustard seeds and vinegar, and left to sit in a clay pot. Indian pickles are mostly prepared in three ways: salt/
brine, oil, and vinegar, with mango pickle being most popular among all. In
Vietnamese cuisine, vegetable pickles are called ("salted vegetables") or ("sour vegetables"). or is made from a variety of fruits and vegetables, including ,
eggplant,
Napa cabbage,
kohlrabi,
carrots, radishes,
papaya,
cauliflower, and . made from carrots and radishes are commonly added to sandwiches. is made by pressing and sun-drying vegetables such as and
gai choy. is a specialty of
Nghệ An and
Hã Tĩnh provinces made from
jackfruit. is a very common side dish in Korea.
East Asia A wide variety of foods are pickled throughout East Asia. The pickles are often sweet, salty, and/or spicy and preserved in sweetened solutions or oil.
China is home to first documented origins of fermented salt pickles, based upon a poem written around 7th century BCE. The practice of pickling then spread across Asia, consisting of a large variety of vegetables, including
radish,
baicai (Chinese cabbage, notably
suan cai,
pao cai, and
Tianjin preserved vegetable),
zha cai,
chili pepper (e.g.
duo jiao), and
cucumbers, among many others.
Umeboshi, another one of the salt-preserved tsukemono, is known as the Japanese plum but taste-wise is closer in comparison to an apricot. In Japanese, 'boshi' stems off the root verb meaning "to dry" because after the Umeboshi is pickled, it dries out in sunlight for 3-5 days (although some recipes recommend putting the fruit back into brine at night, to prevent molding).
Western Asia , traditional pickles in
Southeast Europe,
Turkey and the
South Caucasus sauerkraut in
Israel In
Iran,
Turkey,
Arab countries, the
Balkans, and the
South Caucasus, pickles (called
torshi in
Persian,
turşu in
Turkish language and
mekhallel in
Arabic) are a pickled mix of cucumbers, and turnips, onions, carrots, olives or other regional vegetables. The Persian word
torshi comes from the root word
torsh which translates in english to 'sour.'
Europe Central and Eastern Europe seeds are one of the spices popularly added to pickled vegetables in Europe.In
Hungary, the main meal
(lunch) usually includes some kind of pickles
(savanyúság), but pickles are also commonly consumed at other times of the day. The most commonly consumed pickles are
sauerkraut (savanyú káposzta),
pickled cucumbers and
peppers, and
csalamádé, but tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, baby corn, onions, garlic, certain squashes and melons, and a few fruits such as plums and apples are used to make pickles too. Stuffed pickles are specialties, usually made of peppers or melons pickled after being stuffed with a cabbage filling. Pickled plum stuffed with garlic is a unique Hungarian type of pickle just like
csalamádé and leavened cucumber
(kovászos uborka).
Csalamádé is a type of
mixed pickle made of cabbage, cucumber, paprika, onion, carrot, tomatoes, and bay leaf mixed up with vinegar as the fermenting agent. Leavened cucumber, unlike other types of pickled cucumbers that are around all year long, is rather a
seasonal pickle produced in the summer. Cucumbers, spices, herbs, and slices of bread are put in a glass jar with salt water and kept in direct sunlight for a few days. The yeast from the bread, along with other pickling agents and spices fermented under the hot sun, give the cucumbers a unique flavor, texture, and slight carbonation. Its juice can be used instead of carbonated water to make a special type of
spritzer ''('Újházy fröccs')
. It is common for Hungarian households to produce their own pickles. Different regions or towns have their special recipes unique to them. Among them all, the Vecsési sauerkraut (Vecsési savanyú káposzta)'' is the most famous. pickled flowers of
bladdernut .
Romanian pickles (
murături) are made out of
beetroot,
cucumbers, green tomatoes (
gogonele),
carrots,
cabbage,
garlic,
sauerkraut,
bell peppers,
melons,
mushrooms,
turnips,
celery and
cauliflower. Meat, like
pork, can also be preserved in salt and
lard.
Polish cuisine is centered around pickled foods. Pickled gherkins are enjoyed in a multitude of ways; a snack, a sidedish, a 'chaser' for vodka, and also often used to pickled-gherkin soup.
Czech cuisine incorporates many pickled fruits and vegetables as a way to preserve produce that in their climate are mostly seasonal. A unique aspect of Czech cuisine is the dish 'beer cheese' which is cheese that is pickled in beer. The popular bar snack, utopenec, is sausage pickled with onions. Other vegetables, such as peppers and cucumbers, are also found pickled with utopenec. In
Slovak tradition, pickling practices are quite similar to ones used in the Czech Republic. June and July is prime pickling season in Slovakia, where most people are bottling up their fruits and vegetables to preserve for enjoyment in the wintertime.
North Caucasian,
Russian,
Ukrainian and
Belarusian pickled items include beets, mushrooms, tomatoes, sauerkraut, cucumbers,
ramsons,
garlic, eggplant (which is typically stuffed with julienned carrots), custard
squash, and
watermelon. Garden produce is commonly pickled using salt,
dill,
blackcurrant leaves,
bay leaves and garlic and is stored in a cool, dark place. The leftover brine (called
rassol (рассол) in
Russian) has a number of culinary uses in these countries, especially for cooking traditional soups, such as
shchi,
rassolnik, and
solyanka.
Rassol, especially cucumber or
sauerkraut rassol, is also a favorite traditional remedy against morning
hangover. In the
Middle East and
Balkan Region, pickled vegetables (most commonly used are peppers, carrots and cauliflower) are known regionally as
turshi,
tursija, torshi or
turshu. This dish can be enjoyed on its own, in sandwiches or salads, and as a side to popular dishes like Lahm Bi Ajeen. In
Greece, pickles, called
τουρσί (pronounced toursi) are made out of carrots, celery,
eggplants stuffed with diced carrots, cauliflower,
tomatoes, and
peppers. In
Spain, pickles, known as "encurtidos", are mainly made with olives, cucumbers, onions and green peppers ("guindillas" or "piparras"). "Banderillas" are small pieces of pickled cucumber and green pepper, along with olives and anchovies, mounted into toothpicks, and are very popular as
Tapas.
Northern Europe In
Britain,
pickled onions and
pickled eggs are often sold in
pubs and
fish and chip shops. Pickled
beetroot,
walnuts, and
gherkins, and condiments such as
Branston Pickle and
piccalilli are typically eaten as an accompaniment to
pork pies and cold meats, sandwiches or a
ploughman's lunch. Other popular pickles in the UK are pickled
mussels,
cockles,
red cabbage, mango
chutney,
sauerkraut, and
olives.
Rollmops are also quite widely available under a range of names from various producers both within and out of the UK. Pickled fish, specifically
herring and
salmon, are popular in
Scandinavia. Pickled cucumbers, beets and radishes are used as
condiments for several traditional dishes. Pickled capers are also common in Scandinavian cuisine.
North America In the
United States and
Canada,
pickled cucumbers (most often referred to simply as "pickles"), olives, and
sauerkraut are most commonly seen, although pickles common in other nations are also very widely available. In Canada and the US, there may be a distinction made between gherkins (usually smaller), and pickles (larger pickled cucumbers). Sweet pickles made with fruit are more common in the
cuisine of the American South. The pickling "syrup" is made with vinegar, brown sugar, and whole spices such as cinnamon sticks, allspice and cloves. Fruit pickles can be made with an assortment of fruits including watermelon, cantaloupe,
Concord grapes and peaches. Canadian pickling is similar to that of Britain. Through the winter, pickling is an important method of food preservation. Pickled cucumbers, onions, and eggs are common. Pickled egg and pickled sausage make popular pub snacks in much of English Canada.
Chow-chow is a tart vegetable mix popular in the Maritime Provinces and the
Southern United States, similar to
piccalilli. Pickled fish is commonly seen, as in Scotland, and
kippers may be seen for breakfast, as well as plentiful smoked salmon. Meat is often also pickled or preserved in different brines throughout the winter, most prominently in the harsh climate of Newfoundland.
Pickled eggs are common in many regions of the United States.
Pickled herring is available in the
Upper Midwest.
Giardiniera, a mixture of pickled peppers, celery and olives, is a popular condiment in
Chicago and other Midwestern cities with large Italian-American populations, and is often consumed with
Italian beef sandwiches.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country has a strong tradition of pickled foods, including chow-chow and
red beet eggs. In the Southern United States, pickled
okra and
watermelon rind are popular, as are deep-fried pickles and
pickled pig's feet, pickled chicken eggs, pickled quail eggs, pickled garden vegetables and pickled sausage. Various pickled vegetables, fish, or eggs may make a side dish to a Canadian lunch or dinner. Popular pickles in the Pacific Northwest include pickled asparagus and green beans. Pickled fruits like blueberries and early green strawberries are paired with meat dishes in restaurants.
Thanksgiving Pickles were part of
Thanksgiving dinner traditions as early as 1827. The first mention of pickles at Thanksgiving comes from
Sarah Josepha Hale's novel
Northwood. (Hale is best known for her successful campaign to have Thanksgiving recognized as a national holiday in the United States.) Pickled peaches, coleslaw and other mixed pickles continue to be served alongside cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner in present times.
Mexico, Central America, and South America In
Mexico,
chili peppers, particularly of the
Jalapeño and
serrano varieties, are pickled with vegetables such as, onions, carrots and herbs form common condiments. Pickled peppers are canned and sold in supermarkets under the name "en escabeche." In the
Mesoamerican region, pickling is known as
encurtido or "curtido" for short. The pickles or "curtidos" as known in Latin America are served cold, as an appetizer, as a side dish or as a tapas dish in Spain. In several Central American countries it is prepared with cabbage, onions, carrots, lemon, vinegar, oregano, and salt. In Mexico, "curtido" consists of carrots, onions, and jalapeño peppers and used to accompany meals common in
taquerías and restaurants. ==Process==