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NotAPreppie t1_je86o3r wrote

They are in some parts of the world.

But, presumably wherever you live, they don't simply by convention.

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wjbc t1_je87cqo wrote

It’s really just in the United States and Canada that pickled cucumbers are called pickles. And that’s just because they were such a staple in those two countries. One reason pickling cucumbers was so popular is that cucumbers don’t keep in a cool cellar or in dried form like some other vegetables.

279

-B0B- t1_je88ees wrote

AU calls them pickles too

58

thoughtcooker t1_je8c1nw wrote

Gerkins?

35

cosmoboy t1_je8ddnw wrote

The real difference is that gherkins are a lot smaller than the typical pickle (my new band name)

68

torrens86 t1_je8gwjn wrote

Gherkins are generally sweet, dilled pickles are often called cornichons in Australia.

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DanelleDee t1_je8j0md wrote

There are sour gherkins too. I agree they are usually sweet, just sharing because they're awesome if you can find them!

13

ero_senin05 t1_je8mssf wrote

Wtf you mean, cornichons? Who the fuck is calling them cornichons? I've been Australian for nearly 40 years and I have never heard the word cornichons in my life.

9

MurderedRemains t1_je8oyeu wrote

Smart arse TV Chefs definitely do.

4

maartenvanheek t1_je8r1hf wrote

They also say garbanzo beans, where chickpeas would suffice :)

2

MurderedRemains t1_je8r4uh wrote

What's the difference between a chickpea and a lentil?

1

redant333 t1_je8zjmn wrote

Unless this is a reference I'm missing - the taste, the size and the color.

1

norinrin t1_jeaa71e wrote

I think it's a confused version of the joke: "What's the difference between a chickpea and a garbanzo bean?"

1

nianp t1_je8qy6x wrote

So you've clearly never looked at the pickle section of a woolies or coles?

3

ero_senin05 t1_je8rpg6 wrote

I only look until I see the Polski Ogorki, and then I leave. I also worked in supermarkets for 14 years and don't remember ever seeing pickles labelled as cornichons, and if you go onto either of the colesworth online sites, they don't show up

−5

nianp t1_je8yxhr wrote

You're right, and that's some weird shit because I've 100% bought cornichons from both before.

1

smltor t1_je8qqed wrote

Go to woolies and look at the jars of little pickled cucumbers at least a couple will be labelled as cornichons.

or just check online https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=Cornichon+site%3Awoolworths.com.au

−3

ero_senin05 t1_je8s3ck wrote

It comes up with one result for a product they list as "free" and "out of stock".

1

smltor t1_je8sl3l wrote

Yes and therefore is a product they do sell.

There's another brand they usually have in sydney as well. Green label, forget what it is.

1

ero_senin05 t1_je8t0mp wrote

It only comes up if you search it through the google method you posted though. If you just go onto woolworths site and search cornichons it yields zero results. The probably sold it once upon a time but have since deleted it. Probably because no one wanted to pay cornichon prices for pickles

−1

smltor t1_je8ws8x wrote

They probably sold it at some point in the past 40 years though right :)

Not trying to be a dick or anything just showing that the term "cornichon" has been used in Australia at one of the largest supermarkets in the country.

And yes you are correct. I am pretty sure that they were at a premium price to "pickled baby cucumbers".

To me it is more of a French term than English. But in English we don't have such clear words for pickles as, for example, Polish where Ogorky konserwowe has quite a clear meaning as opposed to Ogorky kiszone. So I guess we steal words from where we can and if they happen to sound fancy it's just a bonus ahahaha

1

ero_senin05 t1_je8zybd wrote

>Not trying to be a dick or anything just showing that the term "cornichon" has been used in Australia at one of the largest supermarkets in the country

True, but the original claim that started this conversation was that Aussies use this name "often." I've never heard the word out loud before and hadn't even read it until today.

1

smltor t1_je90zvo wrote

Probably a regional thing then. Pretty sure most of my social circle in Sydney would know the word.

Although I also feel like it only became common in maybe the late 90's.

1

Pearsepicoetc t1_je8nyc9 wrote

In the UK something sold as a cornichon is generally small, quite sour and will feature no dill.

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nianp t1_je8r0k0 wrote

It's the same in Australia. The person you're replying to has no idea what they're talking about.

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Chosch t1_je8qrz9 wrote

Incorrect. In aus, cornichons are the little teeny tiny Pickles.

5

What_Is_X t1_je8q3px wrote

>cornichons

I am an Australian pickle enthusiast and have never heard this in my life

3

nianp t1_je8r323 wrote

There are multiple brands of cornichons in every major Australian supermarket I've ever been in.

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ero_senin05 t1_je9013r wrote

I would like to challenge you to provide a picture to substantiate your claim next time you are in a Colesworth

1

nianp t1_je921jv wrote

While I've 100% purchased them from both in the past, it appears they no longer sell them/are out of stock.

Of course, the last time I would have purchased them was almost certainly pre-covid.

1

eggwardpenisglands t1_je8ml1p wrote

I thought dill pickles were called dill pickles, and cornichons were the tiny ones?

0

sunburn95 t1_je8ttr8 wrote

>cornichons

I have never heard that in my life

−1

PunkToTheFuture t1_je8pccr wrote

Typical Pickle opening for Ill Eagle and headlining Grabaduck Crumbsnatch

1

risbia t1_je8ufqu wrote

It's got that typical pickle tickle

1

MinnieShoof t1_je8v79z wrote

Smaller than the typical pickle?

Or just Typical Pickle?

1

-B0B- t1_je8cd6w wrote

My understanding is that gherkins are a type of pickle but yeah it probably is used generically

6

pacothetac0 t1_je8t7h9 wrote

They have a different flavor too, use them for potato/egg salad for example

They have a different sweeter flavor, I’ll even eat em straight from the jar unlike almost all larger/deli pickles

1

JosephusMillerTime t1_je8ks8u wrote

I thought we only called them gherkins if they were sliced with that wavy slicer!

0

niallniallniall t1_je8hbwm wrote

It's pretty common now in the UK as well, with trendy burger places being more common. In the past, I think it would've always been referred to as a gherkin. Pickled onions are the main pickle here (in Scotland anyway).

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markp88 t1_je8thvt wrote

If someone just said "pickle", then I'm 100% picturing Branston Pickle, not a gherkin or pickled onion.

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ActonBoy t1_je8uynf wrote

My American cousin came over a while ago and I took him to the chip shop and he asked "do you have any pickle?" And was a bit confused when presented with pickled onions, curried pickled onions, pickled eggs and pickled walnuts!

1

noahnear t1_je8ufjg wrote

Yea it’s gherkins in Uk, we even have a big building named after them. Pickled eggs and onions are also big here so maybe that’s why we clarify. I personally love a pickled walnut.

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unflores t1_je8us6k wrote

Man, the french have a problem with this word. I've seen it as brassée, but that's literally the word they use for making beer.

They have pickles, but they are called cornichons. They are described as "marinated cucumbers". But pickling and marinating arent the same...

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koalaburr t1_je8jf79 wrote

Hey at least we don’t call them gherkins….

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Kaneida t1_je8q51s wrote

> One reason pickling cucumbers was so popular

Another reason is that they are very tasty! Win win, longer shelf life and variety of flavors depending the pickling ingredients used!

1

McStroyer t1_je8ttwt wrote

> some other vegetables

Cucumber is a fruit

−1

AnotherWeirdLemur t1_je8dtpu wrote

Why is ketchup not called tomato ketchup? Why is milk not called cow milk? I guess if something is by the far the most popular type in its category it becomes the default. It’s a lot easier to say “pickles,” “ketchup,” and “milk” rather than specify if everyone knows what you mean anyway. Obviously this is relative to the culture you’re part of.

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Pays_in_snakes t1_je8fra5 wrote

We also did this with Corn, where corn used to mean any grain or pellet-like food (see: barleycorn, peppercorn, etc.)

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[deleted] t1_je8gjjo wrote

[deleted]

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Pays_in_snakes t1_je8h1sx wrote

Maize

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Axe-of-Kindness t1_je8nvye wrote

Oh my god. A corn maize.

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Dcln-e t1_je8p6qr wrote

Sorry to disappoint but:

"The word 'maze' dates from the 13th century and comes from the Middle English word mæs, denoting delirium or delusion. The word 'labyrinth' may date as far back as the 14th century, and derives from the Latin labyrinthus and the Greek labýrinthos, or, a building with intricate passages"

https://www.nbm.org/brief-history-mazes/#:~:text=DID%20YOU%20KNOW%3F,a%20building%20with%20intricate%20passages.

"maze (n.) c. 1300, 'delusion, bewilderment, confusion of thought,' possibly from Old English *mæs, which is suggested by the compound amasod 'amazed' and verb amasian 'to confound, confuse' (compare amaze). Of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Norwegian dialectal mas 'exhausting labor,' Swedish masa 'to be slow or sluggish.'

https://www.etymonline.com/word/maze

I wish the world was cool enough that the origin of the word maze was related to corn as in corn maize. Although, to cheer you up here are 2 Labrynth/Maze facts that I shamelessly stole from mentalfloss.com

  1. LABYRINTHS—THE PREDECESSOR OF THE MAZE—WERE FIRST CREATED NOT TO CONFUSE, BUT TO SEND VISITORS ON A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. 

Ancient labrynths were designed to be serene and introspective, and followed a single circuitous path. In Germany, for instance, young men would walk through a labyrinth as part of their initiation into adulthood.

  1. LABYRINTHS ARE UNICURSAL, WHILE MAZES ARE BRANCHING.

Though the terms are often used interchangeably, mazes and labyrinths have slightly different definitions. Officially, the word “maze” refers to a collection of branching paths, through which the traveler must find the correct route. “Labyrinth,” meanwhile, refers to a pathway which, while winding and potentially disorienting, is non-branching, and leads directly to its endpoint.

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Practical_Cartoonist t1_je8hamm wrote

Outside of Canada/US/Australia/New Zealand, it's usually maize. It used to be called "Indian corn", but I don't know if that's still used anywhere. If you're American, what you instinctively think of as "corn" is usually sweet corn, and some people will refer to it specifically as sweet corn.

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HandsOnGeek t1_je8rvmm wrote

Those of us who grew up on a farm that raised corn definitely do not conform to that convention.

Unless you're talking about eating it, just 'corn' is definitely 'field corn'. Raising it, hauling it, driving by it in the field, grinding it into animal feed; it's just 'corn'.

Picking or buying it to boil or roast and eat? That's definitely 'sweet corn', because you aren't eating 'corn'.

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zamfire t1_je8hi1w wrote

Maize, maiz, teosinte, mahiz, and Indian corn.

Edit: and scientists might call it zea mays.

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im_the_real_dad t1_jedxi9i wrote

When talking about food, corn can still mean a small hard particle, like the salt they use in making corned beef.

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djshadesuk t1_je8eqc1 wrote

>Obviously this is relative to the culture you’re part of.

Ask for a pickle in the UK and you will more than likely get a pickled onion.

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Fox_Hawk t1_je90uyq wrote

I feel like you'd be more likely to get a jar of Branstons.

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Vexar t1_je8gysm wrote

Ketchup is mostly certainly called tomato ketchup. Look at the bottle.

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UsefulNameless t1_je8mipe wrote

My ketchup is made from fancies.

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kyle-highwind t1_je8pcmh wrote

As an avid ketchup lover, I'm inclined to agree with this more than the person who is allegedly correct. Have you ever seen someone make ketchup? I always wondered why it doesn't taste like tomatoes.

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HaikuBotStalksMe t1_je8l7ti wrote

I believe ketchup used to be made out of, I think, carrots.

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Ralfarius t1_je8lwp8 wrote

Mushroom ketchup was a staple in the 18th century. Just ask James Townsend.

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HaikuBotStalksMe t1_je8mj9l wrote

Yes! Mushrooms. Not sure why I picked carrots.

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Ralfarius t1_je8mlyi wrote

They're a relatively sugary vegetable and prolific in European descended food so it would be a fair guess.

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BobLoblaw_BirdLaw t1_je8o3re wrote

Milk is on its way to becoming called cow milk. With the rise in other alternative

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johnnySix t1_je8q57p wrote

Are there other types of ketchup?

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HandsOnGeek t1_je8s0qa wrote

Mushroom ketchup predates tomato ketchup.
Banana ketchup is apparently also a thing.

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Kaneida t1_je8qrw8 wrote

Exactly this, it is slang to call something by its shorter name because vast majority knows what is referred to. If you deviate from the norm then you have to specify the exact produce, goat milk for example.

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AcidFactory420 t1_je8qtdr wrote

In India we actually do mention 'cow milk' because the most commonly produced and consumed variety of milk is buffalo milk. Commercially produced milk is overwhelmingly from buffalo.

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Caucasiafro t1_je87d0f wrote

They are in some places, or they have a different term altogether.

But in the US (and Canada) where it's called a "pickle" it's largely because that's the most common pickled food that people eat. Pickled herring is basically the only other thing I can think of, and that's super regional and still nowhere near as popular.

So we just shorted it to "pickles." Just like how a "roast" or "roast dinner" usually means roast beef.

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open_door_policy t1_je8d5et wrote

Sauerkraut and olives are also both very common, but most people don't think of them as being pickled.

Pig's feet and eggs also both exist, but are definitely uncommon.

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echil0n t1_je8efer wrote

And Jalapeños.. source: am Mexican. Don't think I've gone more than a day without eating my meals with pickled Jalapeños.

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Caucasiafro t1_je8huxs wrote

I always thought sauerkraut wasn't "technically" pickled but fermented.

After a cursory Google search I have no idea how I came to that conclusion that that doesn't still count as pickling.

Easily my favorite pickled product.

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mindvape t1_je8mytp wrote

But sauerkraut is fermented and that is not the same as pickling.

1

slimsag t1_je8qb0r wrote

it is correct to say sauerkraut is both fermented AND pickled

'pickled' just means preserving something in a brine. This can be done through an acid brine like vinegar and heat treatment.. or through lacto-fermentation (a salt brine which helps a particular type of bacteria, which produces acid, grow.)

Even in just the context of cucumber pickles at your grocery store, you can often find both types and not even know it.

Cheaper brands on the shelves like Vlasic will be heat-pasteurized in a vinegar brine, normally not refrigerated as there's no live bacteria producing gasses so the jars won't explode.

While other brands like Claussen, Mt Olive, etc. will be in the fridge section because they were lacto-fermented and need to stay cool to slow the bacteria to keep them fresh longer (and avoid unwanted pressure buildup in the jar.)

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Zumazumarum t1_je8tklp wrote

I disagree to this, could you provide a source? My definition of pickle is to prevent any fermentation and bacteria development, while fermenting is to preserve food with a specific type of bacteria/yeast.

Edit: their are many types of salt brine fermentations, like soy sauce, but wouldn't call that pickled either.

−2

slimsag t1_jean6z0 wrote

> Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickling

> their are many types of salt brine fermentations, like soy sauce, but wouldn't call that pickled either.

Soy sauce is indeed a fermented salt brine. But what food is it preserving? None, just the liquid itself. So it's not pickled, it's just fermented.

But if you use soy sauce to ferment and preserve say vegetables, then those vegetables are said to be /pickled/. There's even a word for it (Shoyuzuke)

2

Zumazumarum t1_jeayicy wrote

Yeah, I read the wiki, but I still disagree to it. Looking up pickle on Oxford dictionary, merriam-webster, Cambridge or dictionary.com they all say its a vinegar or brine preservation. None of them mention fermentation. I don't know why Wikipedia has decided to bundle the two things together, there's no source to it.

F.ex. Sauerkraut is a salt fermentation, but not with a brine. Yet, Wikipedia says its still a pickled food in contrary to the dictionaries definitions.

In my culture, we have a clear separation between the two ways of preserving food. So I'm just surprised ppl here bundle them into the same thing.

0

slimsag t1_jeb7o12 wrote

> Sauerkraut is a salt fermentation, but not with a brine

Sauerkraut is made with the immense amount of water that is in cabbage, and salt, i.e. a brine. Brine is just salty water. When you add salt to cabbage as you do when making Sauerkraut, you literally end up with brine and cabbage. Sauerkraut is pickled food because it is a food preserved in a brine, in this case through fermentation.

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Zumazumarum t1_jebd4ov wrote

Dude, I know what brine is. You're being perfidious. Making vegetables shed water is not adding brine or using brine. It's just a salt fermentation. Look at any pickle jar and the liquid to vegetable ratio isn't anything like sauerkraut. You're really stretching the argument beyond the dictionary definition.

Let's just leave it here. Agree to disagree.

0

slimsag t1_jec0jch wrote

not sure why you're getting mad at me, I just share facts about fermentation and pickling vegetables with you from Wikipedia and other reliable sources, because I like pickling & fermentation and enjoy sharing cool knowledge.

2

MoogTheDuck t1_je8e0yu wrote

You can pickle anything really

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femmestem t1_je8i642 wrote

I had to look up "are all olives pickled" because I thought "pickled" involved vinegar. I had no idea it included salt brine, sugar brine, and oil. TIL Thanks!

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open_door_policy t1_je8ltkk wrote

Yeah, the old recipes for pickles didn't involve any vinegar. You added some salt, then let the bacteria add lactic acid for you. No need to add acetic acid.

3

BebopFlow t1_je8qrmm wrote

Honestly lacto-fermentation adds a ton of flavor and it's probiotic. Vinegar pickles just don't stand up and (in an apparent reversal of half this thread's opinions) I don't think they even deserve to be called "pickles"

4

DanelleDee t1_je8japc wrote

I have picked beets, carrots, beans, and onions in my fridge as well. Those are all fairly common in the part of Canada where I live.

2

dshookowsky t1_je8hfkk wrote

I love pickled cukes, carrots, onions, even herring. I can't stand sauerkraut or olives and I've tried. A muffaletta sammich looks delicious, but the olives ruin it for me. I also prefer a corned beef special over a Reuben.

1

proton_badger t1_je8p9q6 wrote

I make pickled eggs sometimes when I want a break from tea eggs.

1

DTux5249 t1_je8rrwq wrote

True. Probably because most people don't think about what sauerkraut or olives actually are xD

1

Kaneida t1_je8qemj wrote

Sauerkraut is not pickled, sauerkraut is fermented. Pickles = to marinate in vinegar.

Sauerkraut is indeed a pickle. TIL.

−3

point1edu t1_je8ua4e wrote

Every source I look at says sauerkraut is considered pickled cabbage.

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Kaneida t1_je8xz2p wrote

Aye seems that is correct. Today I learned.

1

gordonmessmer t1_je8ucb3 wrote

"Pickling is the process of preserving edible products in an acid solution, usually vinegar, or in salt solution (brine). In the latter case, the acid that does the preservative action (lactic acid mainly) is produced by fermentation"

2

Kaneida t1_je8xsmk wrote

I was under following impression:

> No, pickling is not fermentation. Pickling use vinegar and heat to kill microorganisms. Fermentation, on the other hand, let the natural bacteria create lactic acid that will keep the bad microorganisms at bay, while improving the nutritional quality of the vegetables.

(https://revolutionfermentation.com/en/blogs/fermented-vegetables/differences-fermentation-pickling/#:~:text=No%2C%20pickling%20is%20not%20fermentation,nutritional%20quality%20of%20the%20vegetables.)

However found somwhere else following:

> Sauerkraut is a pickle! The naturally high water content in cabbage, mixed with salt, makes a brine, which therefore makes sauerkraut and kimchi a pickle as well as a fermented food.

So today I learned. Thanks for correcting me!

1

rmdashrfdot t1_je8e1yl wrote

I live in the US.

I never would have thought of herring. I eat pickled okra regularly because I grew up eating them and they're fantastic, but it's not popular where I live now.

Everyone eats pickled banana peppers and pickled jalapeños, so they're the real #2/3 after cucumbers, but for some reason we don't acknowledge them as pickled. That's just the standard way of having them here. If a restaurant actually has fresh jalapeños the menu will say "fresh jalapeños." After those I'd say maybe pickled eggs, but that's just from TV shows like The Simpsons and Cheers; I'm not sure I've ever eaten one.

14

Mattcheco t1_je8j9to wrote

I feel like pickled onions are super popular.

7

asaking t1_je8fequ wrote

I recently had a pickled egg.. had always been too scared… I really liked it - but I love pickled things

4

mcknives t1_je8nipa wrote

Pickled eggs are amazing & super versatile if you want to make/flavor your own. I've done black pepper & garlic as well as red curry flavored. They essentially taste like a boiled egg so still eggy but pickled, tangy & delicious!

2

jaydeekay t1_je8qb5i wrote

Pickled beets are the most common way to eat beets too

2

Colmarr t1_je89vwe wrote

Australia also called them pickles.

3

darkmooink t1_je8kara wrote

Uk here, they are called gherkins and we have, in the grocery shop; pickled cabbage, onion, beetroot (I think Americans call them beats) in glass jars. I can’t remember seeing gherkins or pickled egg in the shops but they are a common thing to exist, gherkins are common on burgers and pickled egg are often sold at fish and chip shops.

2

im_the_real_dad t1_jedx2m7 wrote

>beetroot (I think Americans call them beats)

You have a typo. We call them beets—"ee" instead of "ea". But you are correct.

1

fuckoffasshoe t1_je8l3st wrote

In the middle east we pickle pretty much any vegetable in existence. Carrot, beets, cauliflower, jalapenos, cabbage, olives, eggplant, the list goes on.

2

Kaneida t1_je8qmgb wrote

> Pickled herring is basically the only other thing I can think of

Check out: pickled tomatoes, pickled peppers, pickled red onion (this one is crazy simple to make so you have always in fridge to use for burgers, condiments to other meats and foods).

2

thisothernameth t1_je8u6ma wrote

I'm genuinely surprised. No widely spread pickled pearl onions or pickled corn cobs over there? No giardiniera?

2

earthwormjim91 t1_je8o3i4 wrote

Pickled jalapeño, carrots, radish (you’ll find these three very commonly at taquerias), red onion, sauerkraut, olives, pickled eggs are common in the south as is pickled sausage, kimchi, pickled peppers are very common on sandwiches and pizza.

Those are all common things I can think of off the top of my head.

1

Alewort t1_je8u1bj wrote

Pickled eggs and pickled pig's feet are other regional ones.

1

Carighan t1_je8uc71 wrote

>They are in some places, or they have a different term altogether.

GEWÜRZGURKEN!

1

IMovedYourCheese t1_je88kik wrote

Outside the USA "pickle" can refer to anything that is pickled, not just cucumbers. In India for example there are hundreds of varieties of pickles (and they are all delicious).

47

-manabreak t1_je8nf3l wrote

Funnily enough, "pickled <anything>" is used in Finland for just about everything else BUT pickled cucumbers. Here, they are called either "salt cucumbers" or "spice cucumbers".

21

Kaneida t1_je8qc9x wrote

I think that is due to differentiate between what kind of pickling ingredients/methods have been used. To pickle something refers to marinating something in vinegar.

2

Gerninho t1_je8r485 wrote

Yep. Pickles are called vinegar-cocumber in Germany.

3

lostPackets35 t1_je8bkdg wrote

Because, then I wouldn't have made it 40 years without realizing that pickles were pickled cucumbers. You've got to leave some joy of discovery for people.

25

lostPackets35 t1_je8cikt wrote

Edit: I was also something like 43 when I realized the name " tater tots" came from " tater", like potato. And tots meaning small. I swear I'm not an idiot.

20

Clobber420 t1_je8kdkd wrote

Burrito is a good one too. Little donkey. Cuz the tortilla holds it all for us.

8

Skatingraccoon t1_je87vzo wrote

"Just called" implies that the thing you want to call them is shorter or simpler somehow. "Pickled cucumber" is definitely more cumbersome to say than just "pickle". And a pickle is understood to be specifically a pickled cucumber. It's common enough that we decided it should have its own name compared to other pickled foods.

8

OneTruePirate t1_je8ckll wrote

In Aus we call them gherkins. We use the pickle terminology only in specific preparations like when it's been sliced and goes on a burger. I suppose because in culinary terms, the specific flavour of the vegetable being pickled isn't really important in that case. You aren't buying the burger for the pickle, no matter what kind of pickle it is. What's important is that some kind of tang and acidity is present, like what any pickled vegetable would provide.

6

cheekmo_52 t1_je8afi3 wrote

Long ago, the word “pickle” was widely understood to mean any food that had been preserved by using that method. It wasn’t specific to cucumbers. But over the generations, it became synonymous with pickled cucumbers.

3

villageboyz t1_je8fuw7 wrote

Only in the US, Canada and in Australia. Others are normal.

2

nerdvegas79 t1_je8pnuh wrote

We don't really use the term so much in Australia, it is an Americanism. We'll say pickled cucumbers or gherkins, although we do know what "pickles" means.

5

Bunyip_Bluegum t1_je8s8nv wrote

I’m Australian and without context I would assume pickles meant mustard pickles. If it was burger related I’d assume they meant cucumbers but otherwise pickled cucumbers are gherkins.

3

cheekmo_52 t1_je8gbm5 wrote

“Normal” is a subjective term. And not a terribly useful one in this context.

2

PckMan t1_je8f78m wrote

I mean, they are. You can pickle pretty much anything so a lot of times it helps to define what you're talking about exactly. I often see pickled cucumbers being referred to specifically as pickled cucumbers. The real question is why, at least in the western hemisphere, when someone says "pickle" the default assumed is a cucumber.

2

Satansfavorite13 t1_je8is24 wrote

Why is ketchup not called tomato sauce?

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Hayred t1_je8lb8l wrote

It is in some regions & contexts in England (Example)

It's also sometimes called 'red sauce' as a comparison to brown sauce e.g. I'll be asked 'do you want red or brown' when buying a bacon butty from a shop.

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RVCSNoodle t1_je8j7vs wrote

I believe in russian mashed potatoes are just called puree instead of pureed potatoes.

Probably because pickles and potatoes are the food that's most commonly prepared in that way in those regions. The style has become the shorthand.

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AlfredNotSoGreat t1_je8jovl wrote

They are. If you say pickles in the UK, you're usually referring to pickled onions, everything else is pickled ....... pickled eggs. Still pickled eggs etc.

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Kaneida t1_je8pt5k wrote

> ELI5 Why are pickles not just called pickled cucumbers?

A: They are.

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zoology-holly t1_je8kxjl wrote

Why wast time say lot word when few word do trick? - Kevin Malone

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DoctorCIS t1_je8mbgq wrote

In my area if you see "pickles" on the menu you get pickled cucumbers, but if you see "pickled cucumbers" on the menu you get pickled cucumber salad.

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ZaphodBeeblebrox t1_je8ncm9 wrote

Very much a naming thing in North America. In India, pickles are combo of oil, vinegar, spices and fruits or vegetables and can refer to any one of hundreds of varieties.

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Pearsepicoetc t1_je8obq7 wrote

Where I live "pickles" without any elaboration usually means small picked onions so it must just depend on what the most common type of pickled vegetable is where you are and in the US that's cucumbers.

Btw we call pickled cucumbers gherkins if they're big and cornichons if they're small.

Sliced American style pickled cucumbers are sometimes called pickles but thats the influence of American fast food.

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Historical-Orchid-27 t1_je8pv04 wrote

Am i the only one who thought pickles were those small pickled onions you use in salads and sandwiches? Those r so good! Also pickled gerkins > cucumbers.

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Zenule t1_je8qi9k wrote

in other languages, they are called exactly that, but sometimes the English language is a bit dumb..

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frakc t1_je8so5f wrote

In Ukraine we call pickled cucumbers, because beckled tomatos, pepper and other vegetables are common too

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explainlikeimfive-ModTeam t1_je8u867 wrote

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metroal312 t1_je8wjok wrote

Is this question really worthy of an ELI5 post?

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Chefwhit t1_je8jvzi wrote

Because pickles take less time to say? “Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick” - Kevin Malone

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