Pickles: A Global History

Edible

by Jan Davison

From 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 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 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, History, Microhistory, Food and Drink, Culinary

176 pages, Hardcover

Published July 15, 2018

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and fairly comprehensive (considering its short length) history on pickling around the world. I never knew ketchup, tabasco sauce, and feta cheese were pickled!

[Nefertari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like a good dill pickle, this book is crisp and sharp in tackling the global cooking method of pickling, and has a bit of zing to it in talking about the current role of the pickle in different cultures. As I’ve exhausted this metaphor, is you want a good taste of what the Edible series is like, try this book.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent attempt to cover the worldwide history of pickling. This is an extremely broad topic, and Davison does a much better job than I would have expected of giving broad coverage. I especially appreciated the attempts to trace foodways moving across the world through shared pickling traditions.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pickles are ancient and venerated, found in just about every culture and corner of the globe. I don't think I've ever met a pickle I didn't like. Davison clearly loves pickles and kens pickles, but the book is just serviceable. Competent, but not all that memorable. I did crave pickles while I read it though.

[Vince Deuschel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have liked all the volumes in the Edible series that I have read. This one was a bit better than the rest, but, perhaps that is due to pickles being one of my favorite food items. Warning - reading this will make you hungry.

[oball · Rating 5 out of 5]

This combines two of my greatest loves - food and history - so of course it gets five stars