Have you ever been out at lunch with a friend and they get a pickle with their meal and they immediately toss it on your plate? What about the other way around? Many people do not realize how controversial pickles really are. By definition, a pickle is “a small cucumber preserved in vinegar, brine or a similar solution,”(Google) but what makes people so hot and cold on them? Sophomore at EHHS, Lynn Liccardi, said in a text message, “Pickels are ew;” typo included. Although, Lynn is one of very few pickle opposers. Out of 14 students in one Flex block, only 4 did not like pickles. This can give the very rough statistic that ⅓ of people do not like pickles, also implying that ⅔ do like pickles. Within that ⅔, there is a lot of discourse on what pickles are good and which ones should not even be considered pickles. One of the most controversial pickle flavors is Bread & Butter. This is a sweet pickle that can also come in a spicy version with a little kick to it. This pickle seems to be at about a 50/50 chance of someone liking it. In fact, the only pickle that was brought up as an opponent to the Bread & Butter was a Kosher Dill. Dill pickles are the most common pickle, being that is it the pickle given with sandwiches at restaurants. Many people chose this as their favorite flavor and if given the chance to make their own pickle, multiple people would make a garlic-stuffed spicy dill pickle.
In the Italian-American community, one of the staple appetizers at a holiday dinner is an Antipasto. This is like a giant charcuterie board with meats, cheeses, olives and many other pickled items like mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, and artichoke hearts. Douglas Gardner, an English teacher at EHHS said he likes pickled beets, carrots, cabbage, and jalapeños. Marianna Myers, an EHHS alumni, said she likes the pickled items in an antipasto.
The typical pickle enjoyer eats pickles about 3 times a week, but how? The most common way to enjoy a pickle is just on its own, straight from the jar. Other ways are pickles on burgers and relish on hotdogs. On a burger, a lot of people like a spicy or a sweet pickle, dill is kind of a safe ground if they can’t choose. It is also typical to use the chip shaped pickles for burgers and other sandwiches. As for relish, it is usually sweet so for people who don’t like sweet pickles, this probably is not the best choice for a topping. Like previously stated, chips shaped pickles work best for sandwiches, but what shape is the best? There is a variety of cuts for pickles, this includes but is not limited to spears, chips, whole, and ribbons. Myers said, “I like the spears, like Britney.” A lot of people prefer the sandwich slices and chips because they are, obviously, easier for sandwich making. According to @SelenaPlanet on TikTok, one of Selena Gomez’s guilty pleasure snacks is popcorn dipped in pickle juice. She makes her bowl of popcorn and keeps a bowl of pickle juice next to her and just dips each piece before consumption.
The controversy over pickles is not talked about enough. People do not realize that pickles are so controversial and can make them ignorant to the reality of other people’s opinions. Alexis Streiwesier, a sophomore at EHHS didn’t realize how separated people were over pickles and thought more people disliked them. Myers, who is a very big pickle advocate, claims, “some people just haven’t grown out of being 5 years old. Pickles are for mature people and people who aren’t mature like to hop on the bandwagon.”
After spending probably 3-5 minutes reading about pickles, when will you ever use this information? Probably never, but now it gives you a conversation starter at lunch when your friend asks if you want their pickle.
