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The Pickled City: A Biography of New York Pickles
Not yet published
Expected 31 Mar 26An illustrated history of the ever-popular New York pickle told with amazing archival images and ephemera from the New York Historical and beyond.
The Pickled City takes a glorious deep dive into the history of the iconic brined cucumber by tracing the pickle’s journey from ancient Mesopotamia to Eastern Europe to Manhattan’s Lower East Side, unearthing a hidden world of family stories and economic contributions that helped shape New York’s cultural, culinary, and literal foundations.
With a foreword by pickle pioneer Sandor Katz and an astonishing wealth of photographs, historical images, documents, illustrations, advertisements, and more, this unique food biography brief history of the pickle from 2400 BCE – 2026.An overview of the rise of the pickle industry in the United States, which has grown substantially in recent years.Profiles of immigrant families and their iconic pickle companies, including enduring brands like Katz, Heinz, Underwood, and Vlasic.A survey of the profusion of pickle peddlers, stands, and stores across the Lower East Side from 1850 – 1980, exploring how the pickle industry was born and survived through decades of change, with playful text and incredible archival images.The stories behind New York’s most recognizable pickle stores and brands, including Guss’ Pickles, The Pickleman, The Pickle Guys, Russ & Daughters, Katz’s Deli, and Ba-Tampte.And much more!
Written and illustrated with warmth and humor, this culinary chronicle is perfect for anyone curious about how the pickle became such a popular snack choice, gourmet condiment, and TikTok sensation. It’s for food lovers, pickle mavens, Jewish readers, New Yorkers, deli aficionados, history buffs, readers interested in gut health, bubbies around the globe, and anyone who can trace roots to the Lower East Side.
UNIQUE FOOD This visually stunning and deeply researched volume explores the economic, social, and culinary history of immigrant New York pickle merchants and the ancient history of the humble pickle with humor and affection.
POPULAR Can you guess how many views #pickles has on TikTok? More than nine billion, that’s how many. Get in on the pickle craze by learning more than you ever knew there was to learn about New York City’s deli staple.
AMAZING ARCHIVAL The hundreds of images gracing these pages—including color and black-and-white photographs, newspaper archives, family photos, maps, food art, street photography, and much more—many culled from the New York Historical, bringing the narrative to vivid life.
Perfect lovers and pickle enthusiastsJewish history and culture buffsNew Yorkers and visitorsReaders interested in visual history and archival treasures
The Pickled City takes a glorious deep dive into the history of the iconic brined cucumber by tracing the pickle’s journey from ancient Mesopotamia to Eastern Europe to Manhattan’s Lower East Side, unearthing a hidden world of family stories and economic contributions that helped shape New York’s cultural, culinary, and literal foundations.
With a foreword by pickle pioneer Sandor Katz and an astonishing wealth of photographs, historical images, documents, illustrations, advertisements, and more, this unique food biography brief history of the pickle from 2400 BCE – 2026.An overview of the rise of the pickle industry in the United States, which has grown substantially in recent years.Profiles of immigrant families and their iconic pickle companies, including enduring brands like Katz, Heinz, Underwood, and Vlasic.A survey of the profusion of pickle peddlers, stands, and stores across the Lower East Side from 1850 – 1980, exploring how the pickle industry was born and survived through decades of change, with playful text and incredible archival images.The stories behind New York’s most recognizable pickle stores and brands, including Guss’ Pickles, The Pickleman, The Pickle Guys, Russ & Daughters, Katz’s Deli, and Ba-Tampte.And much more!
Written and illustrated with warmth and humor, this culinary chronicle is perfect for anyone curious about how the pickle became such a popular snack choice, gourmet condiment, and TikTok sensation. It’s for food lovers, pickle mavens, Jewish readers, New Yorkers, deli aficionados, history buffs, readers interested in gut health, bubbies around the globe, and anyone who can trace roots to the Lower East Side.
UNIQUE FOOD This visually stunning and deeply researched volume explores the economic, social, and culinary history of immigrant New York pickle merchants and the ancient history of the humble pickle with humor and affection.
POPULAR Can you guess how many views #pickles has on TikTok? More than nine billion, that’s how many. Get in on the pickle craze by learning more than you ever knew there was to learn about New York City’s deli staple.
AMAZING ARCHIVAL The hundreds of images gracing these pages—including color and black-and-white photographs, newspaper archives, family photos, maps, food art, street photography, and much more—many culled from the New York Historical, bringing the narrative to vivid life.
Perfect lovers and pickle enthusiastsJewish history and culture buffsNew Yorkers and visitorsReaders interested in visual history and archival treasures
- GenresNonfiction
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 31, 2026
3 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 8, 2025
*I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
What a DILLightful read!
As someone who cans a large amount of pickles every summer I really enjoyed this book! It takes you through the history of the pickle, provides information on some of the top pickle manufacturers, showcases influential pickle people and includes some great photos of pickle related things throughout history!
*This would make a great gift for a pickle connoisseur or even a coffee table book. 🥒💚
What a DILLightful read!
As someone who cans a large amount of pickles every summer I really enjoyed this book! It takes you through the history of the pickle, provides information on some of the top pickle manufacturers, showcases influential pickle people and includes some great photos of pickle related things throughout history!
*This would make a great gift for a pickle connoisseur or even a coffee table book. 🥒💚
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC book from Netgalley.
I think this is a perfect coffee table book or a great gift for a pickle lover. But I don’t think anyone will actually enjoy reading it and I don't 100% trust its historical content (scroll to the middle to see my reasons why).
When I got this book, I was hoping for one of those large children’s illustrated history book like “Cross Sections of Castle”. It would be highly visual, tightly curated, and informative without being exhausting. This is more of a historical book with dry writing and awesome pictures.
The writing is very dry. There’s a lot of “X was born in this year and grew up here. In this year, they made a pickle company. This company had Y number of employees and sold Z many pickles.” When information is presented like that, it’s hard to care and absorb the information. It was like reading a bunch of wikipedia pages for companies. There’s also a lot of immigration history that is then made tangentially related to pickles. Kinda like “Here is information about when, how, and why these immigrants moved into NYC. Also they ate pickles. ”
I wanted more of an entertaining read. I wanted more personal stories like the below quotes from this book
• “An extension cord from the tenement provided light for the pushcart, allowing Izzy to sell pickles at night. The lights were cut off when Izzy declined to marry the neighbor’s daughter”. That’s freaking hilarious.
• “Winters were grueling, with their hands chilled by the icy brine - so cold they used a refrigerator to warm them! ” The imagery of a little girl so cold that she uses a refrigerator to keep warm stuck with me. It’s so awesome that she then gets a college degree in computer science. That is the thing I will remember from this book.
But can we trust this as a historical book? Not 100%.
A few pages in, there’s this line: “Cleopatra, one of Egypt’s most iconic figures, believed that pickles contributed to her legendary beauty”. That’s so cool! I can’t believe there’s a document thousands of years old that talks about Cleopatra’s beauty routine! I just had to read the original text. Except when you google it, you don’t find any primary sources. It’s one of those circular reporting things where articles cite each other but there’s no actual proof. At least the other articles will say “It’s rumored that” or “It’s believed that”. But in this book, it’s just stated as fact.
Then I read this line “Ancient Chinese rituals also celebrated the cultural significance of pickling, with fermented vegetables used in ancestor worship as symbols of continuity and filial piety”. Ummmm, no. Fermented vegetables are not symbols of continuity and filial piety in Chinese culture. I would love to see the source for that. The above two examples happen early in the book so I then spent the rest of the book questioning its accuracy.
There are no footnotes and no chapter-level citations, making it impossible to fact check specific claims. There is a general bibliography at the end, but unless you read every book listed, there’s no way to trace individual assertions. However, I am reading an ARC. Hopefully they’ll add it before publishing.
I think this is a perfect coffee table book or a great gift for a pickle lover. But I don’t think anyone will actually enjoy reading it and I don't 100% trust its historical content (scroll to the middle to see my reasons why).
When I got this book, I was hoping for one of those large children’s illustrated history book like “Cross Sections of Castle”. It would be highly visual, tightly curated, and informative without being exhausting. This is more of a historical book with dry writing and awesome pictures.
The writing is very dry. There’s a lot of “X was born in this year and grew up here. In this year, they made a pickle company. This company had Y number of employees and sold Z many pickles.” When information is presented like that, it’s hard to care and absorb the information. It was like reading a bunch of wikipedia pages for companies. There’s also a lot of immigration history that is then made tangentially related to pickles. Kinda like “Here is information about when, how, and why these immigrants moved into NYC. Also they ate pickles. ”
I wanted more of an entertaining read. I wanted more personal stories like the below quotes from this book
• “An extension cord from the tenement provided light for the pushcart, allowing Izzy to sell pickles at night. The lights were cut off when Izzy declined to marry the neighbor’s daughter”. That’s freaking hilarious.
• “Winters were grueling, with their hands chilled by the icy brine - so cold they used a refrigerator to warm them! ” The imagery of a little girl so cold that she uses a refrigerator to keep warm stuck with me. It’s so awesome that she then gets a college degree in computer science. That is the thing I will remember from this book.
But can we trust this as a historical book? Not 100%.
A few pages in, there’s this line: “Cleopatra, one of Egypt’s most iconic figures, believed that pickles contributed to her legendary beauty”. That’s so cool! I can’t believe there’s a document thousands of years old that talks about Cleopatra’s beauty routine! I just had to read the original text. Except when you google it, you don’t find any primary sources. It’s one of those circular reporting things where articles cite each other but there’s no actual proof. At least the other articles will say “It’s rumored that” or “It’s believed that”. But in this book, it’s just stated as fact.
Then I read this line “Ancient Chinese rituals also celebrated the cultural significance of pickling, with fermented vegetables used in ancestor worship as symbols of continuity and filial piety”. Ummmm, no. Fermented vegetables are not symbols of continuity and filial piety in Chinese culture. I would love to see the source for that. The above two examples happen early in the book so I then spent the rest of the book questioning its accuracy.
There are no footnotes and no chapter-level citations, making it impossible to fact check specific claims. There is a general bibliography at the end, but unless you read every book listed, there’s no way to trace individual assertions. However, I am reading an ARC. Hopefully they’ll add it before publishing.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a copy from Chronicle Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you’re a fan of pickles and interested in learning about pickles and their history in New York, then this is a good book for you! Inside, you will find so much interesting information about pickles along with other pickled foods in New York and around the world. There’s so much history covered, which not only covers food, but the communities and different cultures involved.
I learned so much while reading this, and the passages of a few chapters along with the photographs reminded me of stories my grandpa used to tell. He loved telling stories about him and his brother vs one particular man and the pickle barrel that sat right outside his shop to bring people in. It was fun remembering family stories while reading this.
All in all, this was a fascinating read. It was interesting learning about how some big brand names like Heinz, Vlasic, etc. began, especially while knowing how big and well-known they are now. It may seem like this book is only about pickled food, but there’s so much more to it. Even if it’s not something you’d normally be interested in, I think it’d be worth checking out because of how well-researched and informative it is.
If you’re a fan of pickles and interested in learning about pickles and their history in New York, then this is a good book for you! Inside, you will find so much interesting information about pickles along with other pickled foods in New York and around the world. There’s so much history covered, which not only covers food, but the communities and different cultures involved.
I learned so much while reading this, and the passages of a few chapters along with the photographs reminded me of stories my grandpa used to tell. He loved telling stories about him and his brother vs one particular man and the pickle barrel that sat right outside his shop to bring people in. It was fun remembering family stories while reading this.
All in all, this was a fascinating read. It was interesting learning about how some big brand names like Heinz, Vlasic, etc. began, especially while knowing how big and well-known they are now. It may seem like this book is only about pickled food, but there’s so much more to it. Even if it’s not something you’d normally be interested in, I think it’d be worth checking out because of how well-researched and informative it is.
November 21, 2025
When I saw this book up for request on Netgalley I just had to request a copy of it. I have an unhealthy love of everything pickled. Ask for extra on everything I order. Ask for it as sides. Buy jars of it just so I can eat them out of them. Pickled cucumbers, carrots, mushroom, asparagus? All my jam. As someone who is mostly Polish it’s practically in my blood. Was super happy when I was approved for this and got to read it.
This book was deeply interesting. It followed the history of all things pickled, how they travelled around the world, different cultures and their different kinds of pickled objects, and they history of multiple different pickle companies.
I learned a lot from this book and I’m glad I read it. The info about the history of pickles was neat, It didn’t go into as much depth as I thought it would but this is a pretty short book nice you factor in how much space the illustrations/photos take up so that doesn’t surprise me all that much. I didn’t think the history of the different companies would be as interesting as it was but I really liked reading about those too. (Moldy conffused by the one chapter they said it was as going to be about one company and then was all about a completely different one, not sure if that’s supposed to be like that or if it’s an arc error.) And all of the pictures/illustrations really added to the story being told.
Overall this was a short but interesting read and I recommend it for history fans and pickle lovers alike.
This book was deeply interesting. It followed the history of all things pickled, how they travelled around the world, different cultures and their different kinds of pickled objects, and they history of multiple different pickle companies.
I learned a lot from this book and I’m glad I read it. The info about the history of pickles was neat, It didn’t go into as much depth as I thought it would but this is a pretty short book nice you factor in how much space the illustrations/photos take up so that doesn’t surprise me all that much. I didn’t think the history of the different companies would be as interesting as it was but I really liked reading about those too. (Moldy conffused by the one chapter they said it was as going to be about one company and then was all about a completely different one, not sure if that’s supposed to be like that or if it’s an arc error.) And all of the pictures/illustrations really added to the story being told.
Overall this was a short but interesting read and I recommend it for history fans and pickle lovers alike.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A book on pickles. And I, a Ukrainian Jew, am expected not to accept the assignment of reading it?
I'm impressed by the breadth of the research on pickles in the US. Not just ONLY New York for the whole book, but all over the US and then it narrows into NYC. The big names are found in here but also the little guys that have disappeared in the years since. While others were absorbed by the bigger parties.
It starts with a very quick, whirlwind history of pickling, then to the US history of pickles, narrowing to NYC, before ending with pickling around the world - mostly in Eastern and Southern Europe.
Everything is very matter of fact (not a bad thing) but there are some humorous points. I will say I wasn't aware that Heinz was one of the first to get a kosher rating and don't really associate Heinz with pickles, I usually get Vlasic and a couple other brands.
The pictures were a nice touch and I was surprised by a few of them.
Warning: "Pickle" may stop looking like a word by the time you finish.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books/Princeton Architectural Press for the free copy.
I'm impressed by the breadth of the research on pickles in the US. Not just ONLY New York for the whole book, but all over the US and then it narrows into NYC. The big names are found in here but also the little guys that have disappeared in the years since. While others were absorbed by the bigger parties.
It starts with a very quick, whirlwind history of pickling, then to the US history of pickles, narrowing to NYC, before ending with pickling around the world - mostly in Eastern and Southern Europe.
Everything is very matter of fact (not a bad thing) but there are some humorous points. I will say I wasn't aware that Heinz was one of the first to get a kosher rating and don't really associate Heinz with pickles, I usually get Vlasic and a couple other brands.
The pictures were a nice touch and I was surprised by a few of them.
Warning: "Pickle" may stop looking like a word by the time you finish.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books/Princeton Architectural Press for the free copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As someone who absolutely is enthralled with food science books, cookbooks, food history, etc, this was a true must read for me and one of my favorite books of 2026!
The story of pickles is an art all in itself but how pickles changed New York City makes them legendary. Deli style pickles are honestly one of my favorites and this is a must read for anyone who loves food history books or just crave to learn something new. Fantastic research, narrative and execution of mixing storytelling with facts and highlights. Again a definite must read and I would definitely read this book again! I can see why this book is considered to be a big "dill"!
The story of pickles is an art all in itself but how pickles changed New York City makes them legendary. Deli style pickles are honestly one of my favorites and this is a must read for anyone who loves food history books or just crave to learn something new. Fantastic research, narrative and execution of mixing storytelling with facts and highlights. Again a definite must read and I would definitely read this book again! I can see why this book is considered to be a big "dill"!
December 7, 2025
The moment I saw this pop up on NetGalley I know I was going to slam that request button.
Growing up, I absolutely slammed back pickles of all types and so I was just gripped by a book explaining the history. Between the lists of pickle companies (which helped me win bar trivia last week) and the beautiful pictures, I was ready to pick up a physical copy and have it sitting with my coffee table kitchen books. This book even goes into cultural picked foods like kimchi and tsukemono.
I am a woman with a thirst for knowledge and The Pickled City absolutely fulfilled it.
Growing up, I absolutely slammed back pickles of all types and so I was just gripped by a book explaining the history. Between the lists of pickle companies (which helped me win bar trivia last week) and the beautiful pictures, I was ready to pick up a physical copy and have it sitting with my coffee table kitchen books. This book even goes into cultural picked foods like kimchi and tsukemono.
I am a woman with a thirst for knowledge and The Pickled City absolutely fulfilled it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Pickled City is a lovely little book that traces history and culture through the spread of the pickle, specifically in New York City. It is full of charming historical imagery of pickle production and food culture alongside short histories of several pickle companies. The book showcases a bygone era of small businesses creating fermented magic. Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC.
January 8, 2026
This is a fun book with lots of personality. It’s basically a love letter to pickles and the weird, wonderful culture they’ve built in New York City. The history of pickles was so interesting. I had no idea pickles were so iconic and integral to history. There’s lots of pictures and illustrations.
Perfect for foodies, history buffs, New Yorkers, and pickle lovers.
Release date 3/31/26. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Perfect for foodies, history buffs, New Yorkers, and pickle lovers.
Release date 3/31/26. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
February 2, 2026
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book.If you’re a pickle fan or food history fan; you’ll enjoy this book. This was an interesting read about pickle history. I enjoy reading about food histories and thus was right up my alley. This book was very in depth and the various photos were great. It was interesting to see what New York and other places looked like back then. I do wish the authors had listed addresses and websites for the places still in business.
November 29, 2025
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Pickled City is an engaging and well written monograph on the intersection and history of pickles and pickling in New York City by Paul Van Ravenstein & Monique Mulder. Due out 31st March 2026 from Princeton Architectural Press, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is one for the foodies and cultural history fans. Pickling is one of the oldest forms for preserving a harvest and human history has been tied inextricably to salting and pickling for thousands of years. The authors have presented a fascinating glimpse into the history of pickles in the New World, especially commercially and in ethnic populations in New York.
It's illustrated throughout with hundreds of photos, illustrations, facsimile records, and contemporary graphics/ads. Highlighted text-box captions are easy to understand.
Four and a half stars. It's decidedly niche, but really fun and chock full of interesting party trivia (How on Earth did you know *that*??!!). It would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving to the foodies on the gift list.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Pickled City is an engaging and well written monograph on the intersection and history of pickles and pickling in New York City by Paul Van Ravenstein & Monique Mulder. Due out 31st March 2026 from Princeton Architectural Press, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is one for the foodies and cultural history fans. Pickling is one of the oldest forms for preserving a harvest and human history has been tied inextricably to salting and pickling for thousands of years. The authors have presented a fascinating glimpse into the history of pickles in the New World, especially commercially and in ethnic populations in New York.
It's illustrated throughout with hundreds of photos, illustrations, facsimile records, and contemporary graphics/ads. Highlighted text-box captions are easy to understand.
Four and a half stars. It's decidedly niche, but really fun and chock full of interesting party trivia (How on Earth did you know *that*??!!). It would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving to the foodies on the gift list.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews