PICKLE : A PART OF FOOD IN THE WESTERN WORLD

                                        

                                        

Pickle Is A Part Of Food In The Western World

If you grew up in India you know what pickle means. It means that steel dabba of mango achar that can make plain curd rice taste like a feast. It means lemon pickle that sits for months and gets better with age. It means oil on your fingers and a burst of masala that hits you even before you take a bite.

Now go to America or Europe and ask for pickle. You will get something totally different. And that difference is exactly why this story needs to be told.

In the western world pickle is not a side hero. It is a quiet companion. It lives inside burgers. It sits next to your sandwich. It hides inside salads. But do not mistake quiet for unimportant. Without pickle the western fast food industry would collapse. The McDonalds burger, the Subway sandwich, the New York deli platter, all are incomplete without it.

Homemade pickles are a rich source of pre and probiotics that support gut health in a natural and flavourful way. When vegetables are fermented using traditional methods, beneficial bacteria develop during the process and these live cultures act as probiotics that help balance intestinal flora, improve digestion and enhance nutrient absorption. The vegetables themselves provide prebiotic fibre which serves as nourishment for good bacteria already present in the gut, and this powerful combination of pre and probiotics makes naturally fermented pickles far superior to vinegar based commercial varieties that lack live cultures and often contain preservatives and excess salt. Regular consumption may strengthen immunity, reduce bloating and promote overall wellness, while homemade preparation allows complete control over ingredients, salt levels and fermentation time. Popular choices such as cucumbers, carrots, beetroot, cauliflower and mango can be transformed with garlic, spices and herbs, developing complex flavour while preserving vitamins and enzymes. Including a small portion with daily meals offers an easy affordable and delicious way to boost digestive health. For best results use clean glass jars filtered water and allow fermentation at room temperature for several days before refrigeration to achieve perfect tanginess and probiotic potency.

The Real Difference Is The Method Of Preparation

This is where the magic lies and this is what most food bloggers miss. Indian pickle is mostly made with oil as the preservative. Mustard oil, sesame oil, salt, and a heavy hand of spices. Sunlight does the work. Fermentation happens slowly in ceramic jars. The result is intense, spicy, sour, and built to survive a hot summer without any fridge.

The western supermarket pickle is completely different. It is made with vinegar. White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, plus dill, garlic, sugar, and salt. Cucumber is the king there. The cucumber is sliced, dunked in a hot vinegar brine and sealed. It is crunchy, watery, tangy, and meant to be eaten cold. It is made in a few hours, not weeks.

But here is the fascinating part that I have personally seen in the west and that will surprise readers.

When western people make pickle in traditional format, fermented with spices, not just vinegar, it becomes a treat to the taste buds like nothing else. I was in a farmers market. A lady there was selling naturally fermented pickles. No vinegar at all. Just cucumbers, salt, water, garlic, dill, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, red chilli flakes, left in brine for seven days. The jars were cloudy. They were bubbling. That cloudiness means live bacteria. That is real fermentation. I tasted one. It was not the flat sour of vinegar. It was deep, complex, fizzy on the tongue, salty first then sour then warm from the spices. People were lining up for it. Americans who are used to only vinegar pickles were calling it the best thing they ever tasted. That is because fermentation with spices creates flavour that vinegar can never copy.

No European pickle is exactly like Indian achar but the closest are piccalilli from Britain which uses mustard turmeric and mustard seeds like mango achar, sottolio pickles from Italy and Greece where peppers and artichokes are preserved under olive oil with garlic and chilli, and ajvar and ljutenica from Serbia and Macedonia which is roasted red pepper ground with oil garlic and chilli and stored like thick pickle, these are the only European pickles that use oil as preservative and taste intense and spicy like Indian achar while most European pickles like sauerkraut and toursi are water and salt based and taste light and sour.

Why The West Is Falling In Love With Fermented Pickles Again

For almost hundred years the west forgot fermentation. Industrial food made vinegar pickles cheap and fast. But now health, gut health, probiotics, all these words are back in trend. And fermented pickles are at the centre. A real fermented pickle is full of good bacteria. It helps digestion. It is a natural probiotic. It has less sugar. It keeps the crunch longer. Chefs in New York, London, Berlin are now making pickles like Indians do, with time and patience.

In Germany they make Sauerkraut which is nothing but fermented cabbage with salt and caraway. In France they make cornichons with tarragon. In Hungary they make fermented green tomatoes with dill. In America the new cult food is spicy fermented dill pickles with habanero.

The west is learning what we knew all along. That time is an ingredient.

Three Secrets That Make Western Fermented Pickles A Treat

First, they use cold fermentation. They keep the jars at cool room temperature. This keeps the cucumber crisp. Indian pickles often become soft because of heat and oil, western fermented ones stay crunchy like fresh fruit.

Second, they use a bouquet of spices, not just chilli. Dill is their coriander. Mustard seed, bay leaf, allspice, garlic, these build aroma. When these spices ferment, they release oils slowly. The taste keeps changing every day.

Third, they drink the brine. Yes. In the west people now drink pickle juice as an energy drink after gym. Fermented pickle brine is salty, tangy, full of electrolytes. Some bars even use it in cocktails called Pickleback.

Greek Pickle

Greek pickle is called toursi and it is one of the most loved meze foods in Greece and you will find a big jar of it on almost every taverna table. In a traditional Greek home toursi is not just cucumber it is a rainbow of vegetables like tiny cucumbers, sweet Florina peppers, cauliflower florets, carrots, green tomatoes and cabbage all cut and packed together. The brine is simple and very Mediterranean, water, salt, a little grape vinegar, lots of fresh lemon juice, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns and plenty of dried oregano. Sometimes a splash of olive oil is added on top to seal the jar. The jars are left at room temperature for seven to fifteen days and during that time natural fermentation starts, the liquid turns cloudy and slightly bubbly and that cloudiness means it is full of good probiotic bacteria. The result is crunchy, tangy, herby and refreshing, not oily or very spicy like Indian achar. Greeks eat it cold with feta cheese, olives, grilled fish or a glass of ouzo and the sour crunch cuts through rich food perfectly. Toursi is documented as pickled vegetables prepared by the traditional recipe of the Balkans and Middle East and the word itself comes from Persian torsh which means sour, and in Greece it is enjoyed as a meze or appetizer.

The Hispanic Pickle

In the Hispanic world pickle is known as encurtido or escabeche and it is a staple from Mexico to Spain with a bold and fiery soul. In Mexico you find jalapeños en escabeche with carrots, onion and garlic in a brine of vinegar, oregano and black pepper served with tacos and carnitas. In El Salvador the national pickle is curtido, a lightly fermented mix of cabbage, carrot and onion that is essential with pupusas. In Spain and the Caribbean escabeche is often fish or peppers preserved in olive oil, vinegar, bay leaves and paprika creating a sweet, sour and smoky flavour. What makes Hispanic pickles unique is the perfect balance of heat and acidity and while most are quick pickled with vinegar, many traditional village recipes still ferment slowly with salt just like Greek toursi. Unlike Indian achar which is intense and oily, Hispanic encurtidos are bright, crunchy and refreshing and are eaten in generous portions to cut through rich meats and bring life to every meal. In Spanish encurtido literally means pickled food, and curtido is a traditional Salvadoran fermented cabbage salad that is a must with pupusas.

Russian Pickle 

Russian pickle is called solenye ogurtsy and kvashenaya kapusta and it is survival food for the long winter The most famous is salted cucumber made with no vinegar at all Cucumbers are packed in jars with garlic dill heads blackcurrant leaves cherry leaves and horseradish root and covered with salt water to ferment in a cold cellar After few days they become malosolny lightly salted and after few weeks they become fully sour cloudy and fizzy and full of probiotics The second staple is fermented cabbage with carrots and cranberries called kvashenaya kapusta and Russians also pickle tomatoes mushrooms and apples They eat pickles with black bread with soups like solyanka and with vodka and the brine called rassol is drunk as a cure Unlike oily and spicy Indian achar Russian pickle is salty sour garlicky and crunchy and is eaten in generous portions as a salad just like Greek toursi

Is Pickle A Part Of Western Food

Although pickle is a part of western food, it plays a different role. In India pickle is emotion. It is mother made. It is stored for a year. In the west pickle is utility and now luxury. It is the crunch in your burger and also the artisan jar you pay twenty dollars for at a farmers market.

If you are a food lover you must understand both. And if you ever get a chance, try to make a western style fermented dill pickle at home with Indian touch. Take fresh cucumbers, add salt, garlic, mustard seeds, dill or even curry leaves, a little turmeric, and let it ferment for five days. You will get something that connects Jammu to New Jersey in one bite.

That is the real power of pickle. Same idea, different language, loved everywhere.

(Avtar Mota)

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