How Did The Pickle Become A Jewish Food Staple?

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By: Shira Feder

Forward

(submitted photo)

The Pickles a Jewish food staple.

 

The pickle! That fermented flavor, that solidly sour mouthfeel, that palate-cleansing post hotdog taste. The bright green, with its violent crunch! How we Jews love our pickles! But how did this love affair begin?
Immediately I think of a time when Jewish pickle vendors hawked their wares on the streets of the Lower East Side. Only true history buffs will remember the pickle wars, where vendors competed for a monopoly on the pickle. These bold Jewish immigrants made the pickle synonymous with Jewish food, but to find out who loved the pickle first, we have to go back further than that. (This pickle history timeline reveals that pickles have been around for literally hundreds of years, buy we’re aren’t going back quite that far.)

It’s an Ashkenormative love story that begins in Eastern Europe. The Jewish ghettos were unsanitary. The winters were long. Fresh food was scarce. Eating well was expensive. There was only one solution.
It all started with pickling, that most Eastern European of habits. To get through the long and grueling winter months, food had to be pickled. Everything could be pickled, from lemons to carrots, with varying degrees of culinary success.

 

Pickle Day celebrated by food aficionados of Indore

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The Times of India

(Submitted Photo)

Pickle Day is celebrated in India

 

Achaar Day was celebrated on April 22, in accordance with the Indian Food Observance Days that has been started around a year back.In the western countries days like National Cheesecake Day or a National Mango Pie day are common food day observances. Similarly, this concept started by Author and Consultant Rushina Munshaw Ghildayal, has spread pan India. It started with Mumbai and Delhi, but now cities like Indore and Bangalore are also participating in the same. Chef Amit Pamnani, heads the Indore edition of the Indian Food Observance Days celebrations. He has already organised Pulao Biryani Day, Dal Diwas, Subzi Tarkari Din previously. Initially he started by inviting people at his own home through social media; these days became so successful that now these events are gladly hosted by Restaurants and cafes of Indore.

 

Achaar day was celebrated at Romba South, the new south Indian restaurant in Indore. People from all walks of life brought with themselves a portion of their favourite homemade achaar and these included Chefs, Bloggers, Homemakers, Restaurant owners working professionals. There were interesting types of Achaar brought by them which included Fermented Sindhi water pickle with zero oil, A pineapple pickle, a sweet and sour mango pickle, dryfruits pickle, Orange rind pickle, Chilli pickle, Nimbu and ginger amongst many more. Satyendra and Prachi, owners of restaurant, provided the enthusiasts with Dal and Rice to have with the pickles.

It’s a big dill! Sonic goes sour with a new pickle-flavored slush

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today.com

By: Bryanna Cappadona

( Sonic/Getty Images stock)

When it comes to pickles, we thought we’d seen it all.
But it turns out, when it comes to the tangy, sour, salty, briny treat, we’ve barely scratched the surface. Now, Sonic Drive-In is getting in on America’s pickle obsession

On Friday, the fast food chain revealed that it’s releasing a pickle juice slush this summer and it will likely be available in restaurants by early June.
“Quite simply, pickle juice is fun,” Scott Uehlein, Sonic’s vice president of product innovation and development, told TODAY Food via email. “Nothing says summer like a Sonic slush.”
The new flavor will be served at 3,500 Sonic locations nationwide. According to Food & Wine, which got a sneak preview taste test of the new slush at Sonic’s Oklahoma City headquarters, the drink’s syrup has a “sweet and tangy” punch to it.

Sonic’s new roll out is just the latest in a line of increasingly unusual pickle-flavored refreshers

 

 

 

 

YES THAST’S A HOT DOG IN A PICKLE-MEET THE GRAND RAPIDS DILL DOG

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By:Eric Meier

k1021

(Summited By:Bun Restaurant)

Meet the Dill Dog, a hot dog wrapped in a pickle. The creation comes from the wiener wizards at 1 Bun Restaurant in Grand Rapids.
The dill dog is exactly like it sounds, a hot dog where the bun is replaced by a pickle.
1 Bun, on South Division in Grand Rapids, sells the dill dog for $2.20. The photo above appears to be a coney-style Dill Dog with chili, cheese and onion. I even seen some Heinz “Chicago Dog Sauce” better known as ketchup on that dill dog.

The Dill Dog appears to be a champion of pickle efficiency, by removing the wedge from the pickle to place the dog, the remnant pickle piece creates the prefect pickle-spear accouterment.
The menu at 1 Dog also includes burger dogs, corn dogs and a sloppy J.

Oreo Cookies Are the Real Pickle Pairing Your Taste Buds Deserve

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By:Maxine Wally

Esquire

(Submitted Photo)

Sour, sweet, creamy, and crunchy

Ever try an Oreo cookie with a pickle slice on top? It might sound like the stuff of pregnancy cravings, but it’s a sour, sweet, creamy, and crunchy treat that satisfies all regions of your tastebuds. Consider The New York Times’ pickle and peanut butter sandwich on white bread, which divided the Internet last week, dead in the ground.

The tart snap of the pickle balances the sweetness of an Oreo, providing an incredible amount of juiciness to an oft-dry cookie crying out for companionship. There’s also a range of flavor possibilities: Don’t like dill? Top the cookie with a bread and butter chip. Perhaps you’re looking for more creaminess—pair that slice with a Double Stuffed.
The combo was born out of desperation. I couldn’t sleep one night and found myself scrolling mindlessly into an Instagram cooking video hole: disembodied hands under birds’ eye lenses, mise en place in perfectly portioned glass bowls. Somewhere in that hole, I came across a post boasting the benefits of the odd and tasty delight.
Both revolted and intrigued at once, I knew I had to try it.

At a dinner party the following evening, I gathered the courage to bring up the pairing to the remaining guests still hanging out and drinking wine. It just so happened that our hosts had a pack of Oreo Thins and a half-empty jar of spicy pickles on deck. Standing at a butcher block in the center of the kitchen, my friend sliced and crowned each cookie with a dripping sliver. We tossed them into our mouths and, almost in unison, emitted the sounds of our approval.
The hot, vinegar-laced pickle both cut through the sugar and added a succulent dimension to the Oreo. We chewed and nodded, nodded and chewed, until finally I said: “That’s good. OK, that’s really good.”

So meet your new favorite snack, and relish the reactions of friends who think you’ve finally lost it. And if you decide the combo’s not for you—well, now you’ve got pickles and Oreos in the cupboard. You’re welcome.

 

 

Gummy Pickles Are a Thing Now, But Should We Be Sweet or Sour on Them?

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By:Michael Walsh  nerdist.com

(Submitted Photo)

Gummy Pickles

You know what’s great? Pickles. Also fantastic? Gummy bears. These are not controversial opinions. But like a mad scientist with a god complex, the folks at Vat19 have taken those two wonderful foods and combined them into one strange hybrid. And we don’t know if we should be sweet or sour about it, because what in the name of Dr. Frankenstein should we make of a gummy pickle that actually tastes like a pickle?

This new unusual treat from Vat19 and The Gummy Bear Guy, that we first learned about at Geekologie, isn’t just a gummy dessert in pickle form. We wouldn’t be confused about how to feel about that, because as gummy enthusiasts we’d be excited for a gelatinous candy we could really bite into it. The issue is this is not a sweet-tasting treat.
“This all-gummy ‘vegetable’ is flavored like a sour dill pickle with the chewy texture of gummy. While still slightly sweet, the predominantly pickle flavor and realistic appearance will trick your taste buds into thinking you plucked it right from the jar.”
I hope my tastes buds aren’t that stupid, especially because they say this also has a hint of green apple flavor, something I’ve never tasted when eating any sort of pickle. But just because this is weird doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good, or that I wouldn’t enjoy it; just that I don’t know. Fortunately, if you’re also curious, you can order one of these gummy gherkins from Vat19 for $5.99.

Scottsdale Fahrenheit Festival adds jalapeño eating contest

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Scottsdale Independent

(Submitted Photo)
Runners at the jalapeno festival

The Scottsdale Fahrenheit Festival: Arms, Legs and Kegs is adding two more elements to its event June 16 at WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road.
The event is already home to the Hottest Race on Earth, a 10.2 K and a 5K to be run in the middle of the day on the grounds of WestWorld, according to a press release.
Organizers have now announced a jalapeño eating contest for participants 18 years and older, a release states.
Each contestant will receive a portion of jalapeños to consume in four minutes or less. The person who finishes the fiery feast first is the winner. If no one is able to finish, the person who consumed the most jalapeños is the winner.
There is also a fast pitch contest for adults and kids. Winners for best “heat” will receive trophies.

The Scottsdale Fahrenheit Festival: Arms, Legs and Kegs is an event that focuses on the area’s heat. It also features an arm wrestling competition, including arm wrestler Travis Bagent.
Scottsdale Beat the Heat will take place at WestWorld just days before the hottest day to ever be recorded in Phoenix. The race starts at 2:47 p.m., the time of day in 1990 when the Phoenix metropolitan area hit 122 degrees on June 26.
In 2013, Ethiopian Olympian runner Nahom Mesfin Tariku took first place. After completing the race he said “it was the hottest race of my life,” according to a release.
Runners and fans can also visit The Arizona Ales & Cocktails Festival inside the Scottsdale Fahrenheit Festival featuring mixologists, M Culinary and the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild.
Admission to the Scottsdale Fahrenheit Festival is $5.

The Scottsdale Independent is published monthly and mailed to 75,000 homes and businesses in Scottsdale.

Mysterious pickle jars along highway puzzle Missouri drivers

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By Cliff Pinckard  –    Cleveland.com

Motorists in Missouri are wondering who is leaving pickle jars along an Interstate 270 onramp.(From Facebook)

DES PEROS, Missouri — Relish a good mystery?
Pickle jars keep appearing alongside an onramp to Interstate 270 in this suburb of St. Louis and it has motorists scratching their heads over this odd “dillemma,” Fox 2 Now reports.
It’s garnered enough interest to have a Facebook page dedicated to the pickles. It has more than 2,200 followers, with 2,000 joining during the past few days as the mystery has gained national attention.
According to the Post-Dispatch, the pickle jars … sometimes full, sometimes half-full … have been showing up since at least 2012, although it might date to 2010. During Christmas, a jar with a red bow appeared, the Post-Dispatch reports.
It’s unknown who is leaving the jars there and why, but followers of the Facebook page are hoping to solve the mystery.
“They have survived snowmageddon, construction and protesters,” the page says. “There has got to be a story behind these pickles and inquiring minds want to know.”
Let the butter chips fall where they may.

 

What’s the Dill With Pickle Juice in a Cocktail?

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By    –   Orange Coast Magazine

Dill-Iciously Spring at Five Crowns

My uncle once told me about his award-winning family-secret margarita recipe. “Just add a little bit of pickle juice and you’ll blow everyone’s minds!” he would say. The thought of citrus, tequila, and pickle juice may seem like an odd combination on paper, but it actually shores up a nice sea-like brininess, enhancing the citrus and agave, bringing the whole drink to a weirdly higher level. But craft cocktails that use pickle juice or dill, I hadn’t seen one until recently and thought this must be some sort of 2018 cocktail trend.

At 320 Main in Seal Beach, co-owner Jason Schiffer just gave me a flashback with his latest drink menu featuring a new whiskey sour called the Dilbert Pickle which contains George Dickel rye, whiskey pickle shrub, Lustau Sherry, lemon juice, and egg white. Why it isn’t called the Dickel Pickle is beyond me, but the drink, served in a tall champagne flute, trumpets fresh oak aromatics through the dense meringue-like head. As if foam that smells of fresh bourbon-soaked oak isn’t goosebump-inducing enough, the finish has a tingle of dill pickle that hits the back of the throat. “Pickles are funny, that’s why I did it,” says Jason. “I like to go around and throw pickles, and put pickles in front of peoples doors, just because it’s funny.” 320 Main, Seal Beach // 320MainSealBeach.com

Several miles south from 320 Main is Corona Del Mar’s landmark restaurant the Five Crowns, and a different kind of dill cocktail hit my paws. “This is Dill-Iciously Spring.” “Well, I should hope so!” I said, not expecting dill puns from such an institution. Dill-iciously Spring, is a gin drink made with Velvet Falernum, elderflower liquor, lime juice, dill, and muddled cucumber. The drink is full bodied, herbaceous, with a kick of that refreshing pre-pickle vibe. Catch this drink on the spring menu, which is created around new executive chef Alejandra Padlilla’s incredible cuisine. 3801 CA-1, Corona Del Mar // lawrysonline.com/five-crowns

Are Jalapenos Healthy For You?

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By AREEBA HUSSAIN  –   Reports Healthcare

Fresh jalapeno plant

Jalapeños are those spicy chili peppers that you often add to your favorite fast food. They belong to the hot pepper family and due to their distinctive taste; it is easier to add them to many recipes.

Naturally, they are small and green or red. They are spicier than green chilies. Mexican cuisine is the hub of jalapeños enriched food. The distinctive taste of Mexican food, flavored by jalapeños makes it famous worldwide.

Surprisingly, jalapeños are not just any spice. It has its health benefits to offer. It is loaded with nutrients that are healthy by many ways. This article will explain the hidden benefits of eating jalapeños. Also, it will discuss their possible side effects and suggest you the means to use add them.

High nutritional value

Jalapeños have minimum calories in them. They have high amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants in them. You wouldn’t believe but following is the list of ingredients in only one raw jalapeño.

  • Total calories:4
  • Fiber:4 grams
  • Vit C:10% of the RDI
  • Vit B6: 4% of the RDI
  • Vit A:2% of the RDI
  • Vit K:2% of the RDI
  • Folate:2% of the RDI
  • Manganese:2% of the RDI

Jalapeño is a spice, but like most of the fruits and vegetables, it has a certain amount of fiber in it. It means that one pepper provides the user 2% of the RDI consuming 2,000 calories per day.

Jalapeño is also high in vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin B6. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, it is an antioxidant, which fights against the free radical damage and makes your skin healthy. On the other hand, vitamin B6 plays a key role in more than140 bodily reactions.

Helpful in weight loss

Jalapeños are most likely to help you for losing weight by metabolic boost. They increase your overall fat burn and also play action to suppress your hunger pangs. Jalapeños have a vital compound called capsaicin, and similar compounds called capsaicinoids that are evident to be capable of boost metabolismby 4–5% per day. In this way, it is easy to lose weight when you eat jalapeños.

Additionally, they also help to get rid of the stubborn belly fat and reduce appetite. That is why spices, particularly, jalapeños help to lose weight.

Helpful against Cancer

Many studies show the anticancer capacity of capsaicin. It is so powerful that it can even kill over 40 different types of cancer cells. The best thing is that it has no damaging effect on healthy cells.

As per the study, it can do the following things.

  • Stops the growth of cancer cells.
  • Prevent them from dividing.
  • Prohibits the formation of blood vessels around cancer cells.
  • Prevents the cancer cells to spread in the entire body.

However, the studies proving these effects are not targeted to humans. For the effects on humans, there is a dire of more extensive studies.

Acts as a painkiller

When it comes to medicinal benefits, capsaicin is a highly effective pain reliever when used externally on the skin. It works by soothing the pain by blocking the skin receptors that sense it.

When you apply it on the skin, at first, you may feel a burning sensation. After that, you will feel your skin to be numbed, and the pain is completely gone. For this reason, capsaicin is also used in lotions and patches that are targeted to relieve pain. This pain could be related to anything such as infectious, diabetic nerve pain and chronic muscle and joint pain.

Is helpful against stomach ulcers

There are so many reasons for stomach ulcers to be formed such as;

  • H pylori bacterial infection
  • Stomach acid
  • Disturbed blood flow
  • Excessive NSAID pain relievers
  • alcohol
  • Smoking
  • Stress and fatigue

The capsaicin in all chili peppers is helpful to protect the stomach from developing ulcers. However, it is not clear if jalapeños have sufficient quantity of capsaicin for this effect or not.

Protects the body against infections

Most of the spices and herbs have a traditional use to prevent food spoilage and food poisoning. The compounds of spicy chili peppers such as jalapenos are very helpful to reduce the growth of common bacteria and yeas.

They also help from bacterial toxins to spread and reduce the risk of foodborne diseases. Not just this, capsaicin also helps to prevent other types of infections, such as strep throat, tooth decay, and chlamydia.

But the important thing is that all these studies have used chili extracts and not whole chilis. Also, these tests were conducted in the lab but not on human subjects. Further research is required to study it.

Cardiac health

The biggest contributors of heart problems are diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Research says that capsaicin may be helping reduce the impact of these risk factors and its role in keeping your heart healthy.

Capsaicin is evident to lower cholesterol and lipid levels in animals, but this has not been proven on human subjects yet. It is further explained that this property is due to the lowering in blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels, however, there is no research to prove this to be true in humans.

Possible Side Effects

It doesn’t look like that there will be any side effects of jalapeño. In fact, there are so many promising health benefits of it. But you must know about its potential side effects too.

The most common side effect to get from eating any chili is burning of the mouth. If it is very spicy, there are high chances that it will cause moderate to severe burning. If a person is not tolerant to spices, it is not advisable for him to eat chilies, regardless of their amazing taste.

Take care of the following things before you eat them.

  • Do not scar the chilies.
  • Use gloves whole cutting and handling chilies
  • Avoid using the unwashed hands on any part of the body, particularly eyes.
  • Remove the white membranes inside the jalapeño before using them.
  • In case of burning, drink milk.

People with metabolic problems such as irritable bowel syndrome may experience some unpleasant experiences while using anything spicy. For them eating chilies is not a good choice so it is better to avoid it. The common side effects to hit them are abdominal pain, burning, cramping, and diarrhea.

If you are using dried or stored chilies, there is a high risk of contamination with aflatoxin, which is a particular type of mold that grows on certain foods in exceptional conditions. In all such cases, it is recommended not to use chilies and other types of spices.