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🤔 Today's Trivia Question:

Piccalilli Primarily Contains Which of the Following Vegetables?

Correct Answer: A) Cauliflower


Piccalilli: A British Take on Pickles with Global Variations

Piccalilli, or mustard pickle, is a British adaptation of South Asian pickles, typically made from chopped vegetables and spices. While recipes vary by region, piccalilli generally serves as a tangy, flavorful relish.

The term "piccalilli" dates back to the mid-18th century. It first appeared in a recipe by Hannah Glasse in 1758, referred to as "Paco-Lilla, or India Pickle." An earlier mention is found in Anne Blencowe’s Receipt Book, around 1694, titled "To Pickle Lila, an Indian Pickle." By 1769, Elizabeth Raffald popularized the term in her cookbook, The Experienced English Housekeeper, calling it "Piccalillo." The modern spelling of "piccalilli" was seen by 1799 in British advertisements.

British piccalilli typically includes vegetables like cauliflower, onions, runner beans, carrots, courgettes, and gherkins. These are pickled with a mixture of vinegar, mustard powder, flour, and spices such as ginger, garlic, coriander, and turmeric. It is commonly eaten with meats, cheese, and traditional dishes like the ploughman’s lunch. A finer, sandwich-style piccalilli is also available in supermarkets.

In Cyprus, an unsweetened version exists, known as pikla in Cypriot Greek and bikla in Cypriot Turkish. This variant has fewer ingredients, omitting baby onions and featuring a milder mustard flavor, with added carrots. It is enjoyed as both a condiment and a meze dish.

In the United States, piccalilli varies by region. In the Northeast, it is made with sweet peppers or green tomatoes and has a sweeter flavor, often used as a topping for burgers and hot dogs. A British-style yellow piccalilli can also be found. In the Midwest, a bright green version, made from chopped gherkins, is common, especially on Chicago-style hot dogs, where it is known as "neon relish." In the South, piccalilli is replaced by a similar relish called chow-chow, which includes green tomatoes, cabbage, and bell peppers. Western regions rarely serve piccalilli.