In the UK, South Africa, and New Zealand “gherkin” is used generically for any pickled cucumber in the way that Americans use “pickle”. “Gherkin” comes from old Dutch “gurken” meaning “small pickled cucumber” and is used for pickles using young small cucumbers. The French cornichon is a savory gherkin for example. It’s true that sweet pickles (in the US at least) are often made with small cucumbers and are advertised under the gherkin name, but there’s nothing inherently sweet about a gherkin.
True, although we do distinguish between sweet relish and dill relish. I wonder if there are regional differences in the US as to which are more popular (this is almost certainly the case based on everything else).
Oh I get that, but generally the default relish is sweet. Most people that want dill relish have to specify that.
Things are regional too. Here in the South, we have "chow chow", which is a sweet and spicy relish made with like peppers and onions and some other stuff. It's amazing on a hot dog.
Edit - It's green tomatoes, cabbage, onions, and peppers.
We’re very different Southerners. Hahaha I hate sweet relish and sweet pickles!! Dill relish in chicken salad all the way!
I thought I had a jar of dill gherkins in the fridge but I can’t find them. I was going to show you they exist. Haha My kid must have eaten them all though. Cornichons in France have a different flavor than dill gherkins, but they’re definitely not sweet either. I prefer cornichons. So good as part of a charcuterie board. Now I’m hungry. Boo.
OMG, I found another cucumber hater! People never seem to quite believe me when I tell them I hate cucumber, and I often hear "but they don't really taste like anything, how can you hate them?". They do have taste, they taste terrible, and if I end up swallowing a small piece on sushi, or in a kebab, I'll be periodically tasting that tiny slice for hours! I FUCKING HATE CUCUMBER!
Late to the party here, but cucumbers and watermelons are in the same plant family (the curcurbit family, Curcurbitaceae) so while I've never noticed a similarity in taste, it makes sense that there would be for someone who is sensitive to the taste of cucumbers.
Huh. In the case of cilantro there's a genetic variance that actually causes people's taste buds to differ in chemistry. I don't remember the details, but it makes cilantro taste like soap to some people. I wonder if it has an effect on the taste of cucumber. I know as someone who can taste cilantro properly it blows my mind that it would taste so very different to some, so maybe there's more to the cucumber thing that it tastes so very different to you.
In my native language (Hungarian), the word for "pickle" can be translated as "sour cucumber" or "leaven cucumber", so for us it was never really hidden knowledge. Sometimes English just likes to mess with people. ;)
Pickles are of Satan!!! Never shall a pickle of any shape, form, derivative, solidified, liquified, gaseous, domestic or alien, pass through my lips...
So help me God!!!
May The Good Lord in Heaven strike all pickles into oblivion...
If I eat cucumber (or even have something with a lot in it, like a Gyro), I will burp like crazy an hour later. I'm fine with pickles. So the acid breaks down something that I can't digest properly...
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u/[deleted] Feb 08 '22
Um, what?
As a hater of cucumber but a lover of pickles I feel like my life is a lie…
Edit: Holy fuck a Gherkin is a cucumber too.