Pickles: A Global HistoryFrom the fiery kimchi of Korea to American dill spears; from the spicy achar of India to the ceviche of Latin America; from Europe’s sauerkraut to brined herrings and chutneys, pickles are unquestionably a global food. They are also of the moment. Growing interest in naturally fermented vegetables—pickles by another name—means that today, in the early twenty-first century, we are seeing a renaissance in the making and consumption of pickles. Across continents and throughout history, humans have relied upon pickling to preserve foods and add to their flavor. Both a cherished food of the elite and a staple of the masses, pickles have also acquired new significance in our health-conscious times: traditionally fermented pickles are probiotic and said to possess anti-aging and anti-cancer properties, while pickle juice is believed to prevent muscle cramps in athletes and reduce sugar spikes in diabetics. Nota bene: It also cures hangovers. In Pickles, Jan Davison explores the cultural and gastronomic importance of pickles from the earliest civilizations’ brine-makers to twenty-first-century dilettantes of dill. Join Davison and discover the art of pickling as mastered by the ancient Chinese; find out why Korean astronaut Yi So-yeon took pickled cabbage into space in 2008; learn how the Japanese pickle the deadly puffer fish; and uncover the pickling provenance of that most popular of condiments, tomato ketchup. A compulsively consumable, globe-trotting tour sure to make you pucker, Davison’s book shows us how pickles have been omnipresent in humanity’s common quest not only to preserve foods, but to create them—with relish. |
Contents
Ferment and Fire | |
Ancient and Modern | |
Arabs | |
Sustenance and Savour | |
Trade and Empire | |
Recipes | |
References | |
Websites and Associations | |
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Common terms and phrases
acid al-Baghdādī allspice anchovies ancient Apicius Arabs Asia aubergines barrels boiled bottled brine cabbage capers catchup century ceviche chillies Chinese chopped chutney colour condiment cookbook cooked Cookery crisp cuisine culinary diet dish escabeche fermented foods fermented pickles Fish pickled fish sauce flavour fresh fruits garlic ginger grapes green Hannah Glasse herbs horseradish India Indian pickles ingredients Japanese kimchi Korean Latin America layer leaves lemon London mango meal meat method Middle East mixed mostarda mustard seeds octopus olives onions peppers perilla Persian piccalilli pickle brine pickle juice pickleback pickled cabbage pickled cucumbers pickled fish pickled foods pickled in brine pickled in vinegar pickled turnips pickled vegetables plums popular pickles prepared preserved radish recipe relish rice salt pickles salty sauerkraut shōchū sliced soaked sour spices sprinkled sugar sweet taste tbsp tomato ketchup tradition tsukemono turnips turşu umeboshi vinegar vinegar pickles wine vinegar world’s