The History of Pickles, Cleopatra’s Go-To Beauty Secret
The food has been popular around the world for thousands of years
Tangy with undertones that can range from sweet to savory and sour, pickles are a preserve that has evolved as a snack and side dish over their many years in existence. In fact, they go so far back in popularity and age that they were a favored food of some of the greatest kings and queens of history .
The word pickle is Dutch in origin, as their “pekel” translates to “brine.” Meanwhile, gherkin, a popular name for a cucumber pickle, is another Dutch word that means cucumber.
Although most commonly found in the form of a cucumber, a pickle can be any number of fruits, vegetables or proteins that have been fermented in a salty brine (most often vinegar) for some period of time. It’s an excellent way to not only add flavor to blander produce but also give it much longer shelf life.
It is thought that pickled cucumbers goes back at least 3,000–4,000 years. Dueling claims argue that they first appeared as a food for workers toiling on China’s Great Wall, which was completed around the seventh century B.C. They may have also existed during the time of the Tigris Valley of ancient Mesopotamia by way of India, which at around 2,030 B.C. would date them significantly earlier…
