Today is National Pickle Day, which comes from the Dutch word “pekel”, meaning brine. This low calorie, high in vitamin K, treat has been enjoyed across the world since at least 2030 B.C. Pickles, which are cucumbers soaked in a brine or vinegar, and fermented for various lengths of time with added flavoring to make the different types available on the market.
Cleopatra claimed her great beauty came from her indulgence of the flavorful treat imported from India to the Tigris Valley. They are low in calories which might explain her shapely body and while she probably was a beauty I’ll bet her breath was at least a little suspect with all that vinegar.
Interestingly, Julius Caesar also found the pickle to be of benefit to his troops. He believed the pickle made his troops stronger and gave them more energy. This may explain some of his success against Cleopatra and possibly some of the attraction!
At any rate, over 5,200,000 pickles are consumed every year in America. Whether they are dill, gherkin, cornichon, brined, kosher dill, Polish, Hungarian, lime, bread, butter, Swedish, Danish, cinnamon, or kool-aide (whatever they are).
And one of the newest flavors, and the favorite of many, is the deep-fried pickle. I believe this started as a southern treat but has spread across the rest of American and even into Europe.
How to celebrate – Pickles can be enjoyed many ways… in a sandwich, as relish, or just on their own. Have a pickle with lunch today! See how many new flavors of pickles you can try. You can try and pickle your own cucumbers if you like.
Unboxing the Bizarre™ 