Long before the days of refrigeration, pickling was the go-to form of food preservation. Mesopotamians were pickling cucumbers as far back as 2030 BC. Vegetables, fruits, everything was packed in salt and left to linger in vinegar so that people could savor them even in winter. Over the years, new ingredients were introduced, different kinds of brine were introduced in different cultures but the basic principles remained the same. From Italian giardiniera to Indian mango pickle, here are some of the popular pickles found around the world:-
- Giardiniera (Italy)– Giardiniera, which means “female gardener” or “from the garden,” in local language. It is an Italian dressing made of peppers, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, and onions. The vegetables are pickled with either red or white wine vinegar, and seasoned with an assorted range of herbs and spices like garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. During the 1920s when many Italians migrated to the USA, they brought with them the recipe to Chicago, and the city has since adopted the refreshing relish as its own.
- Mango Pickle (India)– Pickled mangoes are found all over South east Asia but it is majorly popular in India. On the contrary to Western preparation of using vinegar as brine, Indians use oil to make the pickle called “achaar”. After being skinned and cleaned, chopped green mangoes are left to dry completely under the scorching heat of the sun. Then they are mixed and sauteed with salt, a variety of spices like fennel, fenugreek, chilly and oil and finally canned in glass jars.
- Dill Pickle (USA)– It never originated in the USA but was brought by migrating Europeans in the late 1800s and 1900s and later a new touch was given to it in American style. The word “pickle” actually has Dutch or German origin. It is believed that the original recipe originated from Jewish families in east European countries where they used to ferment cucumbers, the main ingredient to add flavor to their simple meals. The key to making a dill pickle lies in both the quality of spices and in the duration of time that the pickles are allowed to ferment. Dill pickles are a handy snack in the USA but most commonly are part of kid’s lunch boxes especially in sandwiches.
- Kyuri Zuke (Japan)– Gari, a pickled ginger recipe, is most popular in Japan. It boasts of many pickle recipes found in nooks and corners of the country. Kyuri asazuke is also one of the internationally popular recipes. It is a lightly salted and pickled Japanese cucumber recipe. Kyuri asazuke can be served thinly sliced as a refreshing condiment, or whole on a stick.
- Torshi (Israel)– Torshi is the pickle of the Middle East, can be found everywhere from Afghanistan to Armenia. It is believed to have derived from the Persian word torsh, which translates to sour. The origin of this recipe was in and around the region of Israel and then spreaded across the entire middle-east. Though there are numerous kinds of torshi made from fresh vegetables, one of the most popular, torshi left, is made from the humble turnip. Turnips pickled in vinegar, salt, water, and garlic results in a crisp and refreshing pickle.
- Pickled Herring (Sweden)– Swedes are the pioneers of pickling because they had no choice but to pickle their harvest due to cold and harsh winters. Swedes even pickle fish, but their most common dish is pickled herring. The most basic version of pickled herring combines salt, vinegar, some spices and some add-ins like mustard or dill. No Swedish smorgasbord would be complete without it.
Pickles Jams & Ketchup Sales and Marketing Agency in Mumbai
We are a pickles jams & ketchup sales and marketing agency in Mumbai and our work involves pitching your products to interested retailers or sometimes even customers in order to generate revenue for you. We even provide B2B Marketing and B2B distribution support all across India. There is quite a range of offers and services available for groceries in Mumbai, including effective marketing plans to boost pickle, jam and ketchup sales for you. If you make pickles or jam at home, come join us on our journey.
