When the topic of pickling first arose in our classroom it was the first time I had ever heard of the word let alone what it meant. ‘Pickling’ just sounded like we were going to be talking about pickles or how to make pickles and although we did it was a lot more than that and I discovered that whilst we were in the kitchen. In my household “cooking” is just sticking something into the oven and “preserving” is putting bread in the freezer so it doesn’t turn mouldy as fast. While we were in the middle school cafeteria that was the first time I had an experience with really doing food work. Even just the process of chopping the vegetables, having to chop each one differently was something that I had heard of doing but had never actually done. There was something about the process that almost made me feel as if I was reconnecting with nature in a way. Whilst doing it in my head I was thinking about how this was something that my long ago ancestors would do (minus the store bought knives and oven). When we finished, I had the feeling of feeling good about what we had just completed. We had spent the day doing all this work, and not only did we complete what we set out to do, we also connected with each other and helped each other out. Pickling I have learned now is a way of surviving and a way of connecting with people who are a part of our community. Now looking back I’ve come a long way from not understanding what pickling even was and being grossed out by the topic of pickles. When we finally receive our jars back I will definitely not be choosing any that contain dill pickles (that sounds nasty) but I’m very excited to try any of the others and force my family members to as well.
Pickling is a widely known and widely used technique, employed by many cultures and countries for a wide variety of uses. As a result, almost everyone can find themselves connecting to the art of pickling and preservation. For instance, a very popular type of preserved food in the middle east, especially Iran, is known as “torshi”. Iran has hundreds of types of torshi, used in many different regional customs and both formal and informal events. The word itself is a derivative of the persian word “torsh”, which means sour.
According to my mom, our culture loves sour and salty tastes. As a result, this leads to why torshi is so commonly used; besides salt and saffron, it is an amazing seasoner of our styles of food, which are very grain-based. For instance, kebab is generally served with a lot of rice, and torshi is an excellent way to break up the seemingly repetitive taste of rice & meat. Another fun usage of torshi, according to my dad, is to take some lettuce and dip it into the torshi. This is used on hot days, and since Iran is a very hot climate, it means that torshi is also used as a way to stay hydrated, as torshi is generally refrigerated.
Personally, the pickle has significance in our home, as my family still carries our culture’s traditions around. For instance, we usually have some form of pickles in our food quite frequently, and always have them ready to greet family friends with. Another part of my family’s experiences is through my mom. She is vegan and very obsessed over her health, and pickles are a great food for her, especially pickled beets and kimchi. For me, the experience of creating pickles in class and at home allows me to bond over food, which is a way of bonding that has existed for a very long time (look at all the discussions people have about food!) In conclusion, pickles are meaningful, with a long history and deeply rooted meaning in many cultures, and they certainly have their roots planted in my family.
I come from a mixed racial background of Poland, England, Trinidad, and the Philippines and my family has many friends from all over the world such as Columbia, Argentina, Jamaica, Greece, Guyana, and more. Due to these factors, I’ve grown up surrounded by many different cultures and have eaten cultural and ethnic foods from all over. This experience of making pickles reminds me of all the times I’ve prepared meals with my grandmas. On the polish side vegetables are a big part of the meals we make as there are a lot of stews and such. With my polish grandma I will help her cut the vegetables and slice the meat to prepare for cooking as that is what she would do with her mother in Poland as a child. Once we’ve prepared everything we throw it in the pot as we go. It’s simple and delicious and is a popular food especially during wartime as it only really requires water and vegetables as well as random foods to make. On my trinidadian side there is rarely meal prep, my family just throws things in as they go and there is little to no order. When I’m cooking with my trinidadian grandma I will help her prepare the food such as dough from scratch before later cutting, dicing, and mincing ingredients as we go. My trinidadian grandma uses many flavours and spices as well as wine to cook her meat and vegetables. The field trip we took to make pickled foods reminded me of the times I’ve prepared and cooked with my grandparents and mother. The delicious scents coming from the kitchen and foods we were prepping reminded me of being in the kitchen with my family growing up and seeing how it all comes together, which I can imagine is an experience many families experience cooking their cultures' foods together. The tradition of preparing food with older generations to one day do it with younger generations has been part of this world for eons and I look forward to continuing it.
Our experience making pickles was a one-of-a-kind experience that allowed me to connect to my culture and family in ways I hadn’t previously explored. As a child, I have fond memories of visiting my grandparents in Mississauga. They were immigrants who came to Canada from Britain in their early 20s and brought their unique food traditions with them. One of these unique traditions was an annual get-together where we would enjoy a formal dinner. But, one of my favourite parts of these dinners was when my late grandfather would take me downstairs into their walk-in fridge to sample some of his homemade pickles. He would harvest vegetables from his garden every year in autumn and soak them in a homemade brine over the winter, and every year, when we came over for Easter, he would let me sample his pickles. He told me they reminded him of his childhood, where he and his single mother would be forced to preserve and hold onto any food they could in a war-torn nation. My grandfather passed away in 2019, and his tradition of making homemade pickles seemed to have died with him, but after my experience with our pickling workshop, I've realised that pickling isn't as tricky as it looks. I hope to revive my family’s pickling tradition to further connect with my culture and my late grandfather.
Upon studying food history, I was amazed to see how prominent of a role food played in shaping unique cultural identities and even creating divides between different peoples. Recipes and culinary traditions are important parts of a person's cultural heritage and can reflect a culture's history and beliefs. An example of this comes from Asia, where rice has played an immense role in creating a cultural identity. Rice is a daily food staple and plays a unique role in many Asian cultures. Rice is used in religious ceremonies and weddings and is always present at major cultural festivals and ceremonies. Rice farming has also employed millions of people in Asia for centuries and has become one of the most important exports for the region. Rice has not only been vital to Asia’s religious and cultural identity but also its economic identity as well. However, this connection to food can also lead to divisions and tensions between different people. An example of this comes from the Roman Empire during the struggle between the wealthy patricians and the poor plebeians. The patricians would dine on foods seen as more valuable and fit for the elite. These included meats, fruits and cakes. On the other hand, the plebeians would dine mainly on porridge, along with meagre servings of cheap vegetables. This immense difference between the diets of the classes further divided the Roman people and was a factor in the significant protests and revolts against the Patricians. Food may play a role in dividing people. Still, food can help bridge cultural gaps by creating a safe and familiar environment between different people and helping foster understanding and appreciation.
Within my Japanese culture, we have a tradition to make pickled vegetables called “tsukemono.” It consists of preserving vegetables, commonly daikon, cucumber, water lily roots, ginger, and plums with different brines made of salt, soy sauce, miso, or vinegar. These can commonly be found served at traditional restaurants and even in store bought meals such as at the convenience store.
Although I only remember living in Japan for a small amount of time when I was little, I still go back every year during the summer to reunite with my family. The known Japanese foods such as sushi and ramen are to look forward to, but the most comfort I receive is from my grandmother’s home-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which never fails to be served alongside her own tsukemono made from locally grown crops.
As I was cutting the cucumbers alongside my group on Wednesday, I was reminded of the time I had previously made Japanese-style pickled cucumbers with my grandmother. Sitting down on the living room carpet, we would take the leftover cucumbers from the mountain we received from our neighbours before they began to rot in the burning summer heat, and use a grater to thinly slice the cucumbers into a large bowl. These would then be salted, tossed, and finally strung to remove any excess water before being left to sit in the refrigerator until ready to consume.
Another type of tsukemono that is especially important to me is “umeboshi,” which directly translates to “pickled plums” in English. These are made from small plums that are placed in a vinegar and sugar brine to make soft, sweet, and sour pickled plums. In my home in Canada, we often do not make nor buy tsukemono as it is hard to find such freshly grown vegetables or tsukemono itself being sold at stores. Despite this, pickled plums can commonly be found at Asian supermarkets due to its consumption across other Asian countries such as China's own pickled plums, which has allowed me to continue consuming a key traditional food even in my daily life here in Canada.
Although Japanese brines are normally simpler than what we had made in class, the ability to create different pickled foods from just a single vegetable reminded me to be appreciative of the spread of food traditions and cultures across the world as they have allowed us to consume multiple dishes we would not have been able to before today.
I found the pickling experience to be intriguing, as it provided me with valuable insights and a newfound appreciation for pickling and its historical and cultural importance. As we went through the process of pickling, I started wondering if there were any pickled foods in my culture, leading to me having a conversation with my mom about it. Through the conversation, I found out that one of my favourite traditional Yemeni condiments known as Ushar (Yemeni Ushar) was made of pickled lime mixed with a sauce made of dried red chilli peppers that was added to the pickled lime after it was ready. It was interesting to find some similarities and differences between the pickling process we went through and that of Ushar. Whereas Ushar brine is not needed, and the lime is stuffed in a jar with a mix of turmeric and salt, then sealed and left out to dry in the sun for a month. Looking at the different types of pickling made me realise the universality and connectedness of pickling and how it is apparent across different cultures. While my mom's aunts used to make Ushar, my mom never tried pickling herself. However, after learning how to pickle and looking more into how to make Ushar I am excited to try to make pickles and Ushar with my mom in which I can teach her what I learned, allowing me to connect with my culture and family. Realising that I can now make one of those beloved foods, Ushar, on my own is enticing, and I look forward to it.
Like with many cultures around the world, the act of pickling and making preserves is an integral part of my own cultural practices as a Romanian-German immigrant. Relating to my Romanian culture specifically, this pickling activity strongly reminded me of making sarmale (romanian cabbage rolls) with my mother when I was younger. Sarmale came from the Turkish, who are claimed to be the original creators of the dish. As they conquered more and more land during the Ottoman Empire, the dish spread and was adapted by the people of different countries. Germany, Romania, Hungary, Russia, and Greece are only a short list of examples of contributors. Every one of these countries makes the dish with their own unique take, or “peculiarity” as the article states. But only Romania has adopted it so deeply into our culture. Romania is one of the few countries where sarmale is considered the national dish, and one of the few cultures that has its national cultural identity so heavily fused with it. Sarmale are consumed as a general, comforting meal, but they are most often served during special occasions. It’s rare (if ever) that we do not have at least a platter of sarmale at a gathering. Whether it’s Christmas, Easter, weddings, a birthday, they’re always present. The dish is most often made using pickled cabbage leaves (fresh may be used, but pickled is much preferred and more traditional) but many romanians will substitute the cabbage for something else. For example, in smaller villages it’s more common for the pickled cabbage to be substituted for grape vine as it’s easier to source, seeing as families further out in the countryside are used to growing grapes in their yards. Other examples of cabbage substitutions include cauliflower, sorrel, or beet leaves. The filling of the roll varies, as there are several, but the most common include meat (traditionally pork), rice, fresh herbs, spices (most commonly slt, pepper, and sweet paprika), and onion. Once the rolls are stuffed, they are traditionally cooked in bulion de rosii (tomato soup or paste).
My experience has been great so far with making pickles, one thing I really liked was how easy the process was and it being my first time ever pickling and canning foods; I really enjoyed it. Me and my family being Afghan; In my culture, pickling all sorts of vegetables have been intertwined with our culture for hundreds of years and it is usually served at every dinner as a side dish and exchanged among relatives as a way to have a taste of other households' preferences and is a great way to keep food in the fridge for months and even years. We call it Torshi ( Turrshi ) because the word "Tursh" means sour in Farsi. My family typically makes it with chopped cucumbers, peppers, cauliflower, carrots, eggplant and diced garlic for flavour. This is interesting because from pickles, we can tell how people do it differently worldwide and with different cultures we have different varieties and flavours of pickled foods; this tells us just how worldwide pickled food has been spread worldwide. Another thing I found interesting was that the process my mother uses and the process we did in class is basically the same. The only difference is the choice of vegetables and the cultural significance which is that without pickled foods, our dishes lose a small bit of flavour that would be preferred.
I remember in class, another student and I looked at this really interesting list of 40 pickled food items. We found all these different foods that we did not think of at first like peaches, okra, bologna, eggs, and watermelon. These were all surprising since the image in my head of what you can pickle was rather narrow. You later said “you could pickle your bike if you really wanted to” (or something along those lines) so I asked my mom if we (Filipino people) had pickled food and it turned out we did. There is a food called Atchara, which is made from green papaya, and is preserved in a sweet brine with garlic. We also often combine it with other dishes like caldereta, sinigang, or various barbecue skewers. I remember talking with my dad about the English starving the Irish (the other half of my ancestry) and the English did not take potatoes which is why the Irish were so dependent on them for food and importing food was difficult since they were very poor. I’m thinking that maybe the Irish would hide food so it couldn’t be taken by the English. Perhaps pickled food would work well for this since they are already in a container. Irish folks pickle lots of food like fish which was likely introduced by viking settlers. Pickled butter was one of Ireland’s chief exports during this time which was eventually disrupted by the War of Austrian Succession. We also make corned beef and pickled cabbage became popular staples of Irish culture including St. Patrick’s Day. I remember Mr. Kunanec brought his cassette player with Billy Joel’s Glass Houses and the Footloose Soundtrack. It made the work a lot less monotonous since we were doing a lot of menial tasks. My dad also plays music whenever working on things around the house or getting ready to leave for work. I wonder how far that practice (playing music or other entertainment to make menial tasks less of a pain) goes back since music has existed in many ancient societies like in what is now Vietnam, Egypt and China respectively with lithophones, flutes and trumpets (or rather, what we’d call those instruments.)
Pickles were important in the culture of my country of origin. My great-great grandmothers also prepared pickles in those days when there was no electricity and therefore no refrigerators for storing food. Therefore, salting vegetables before winter was necessary and later became tradition. Of course, from the beginning they grew some vegetables and somewhere in October they salted them in order to preserve it until winter, storing them in basements, which were small underground rooms under the house or with an entrance from outside the house. There was the right temperature for storing food. Sometimes fresh products could be placed there, such as vegetables or fruits, which could be stored for several months.
In general, pickling was tradition not only in my family. Like I mentioned earlier, this can be called part of the tradition in the country of my origin. Pickled cucumbers, along with other pickled vegetables, are still cooked to this day and are a common dish in both everyday and holiday meals. The knowledge of making pickles was passed down from generation to generation until they ended up with my mother. One of these recipes is mixed pickles. The ingredients most often were cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes but only those that had not yet ripened (green ones), carrots, celery, garlic and pepper. From the beginning, some vegetables were peeled and the cauliflower as well as cabbage were cut, then everything was laid out in layers and placed in a wooden barrel, after which a mixture was added. That mixture was in the ratio of about 700 grams (about 1.54 Lb.) of salt to 10 litres of water. Then the barrel was covered with a lid and stones were placed on top. Later it was placed in the basement and could be stored there for a long time (about 7 months). I often watched my mother prepare pickles, but I never delved into the history or cooking process. I managed this while making pickles in class. Look at it not just as food that I have known since childhood, but rather think more about its historical value. Thinking that many years ago someone prepared pickles according to the same recipe that we made in class. It’s unlikely that I’ll be able to find the history of the origin of those recipes, but perhaps I’ll be able to find the recipes themselves that my great-grandmothers used to cook.
Growing up in a Bangladeshi-Canadian household, food has always been a significant part of my culture and identity. It's not something that was simply consumed. Food is a reflection of our values, and it means a great deal to my family. Life is hectic, and as I get older, it's often harder to make time for my family. Nevertheless, food has always been a constant in my life. Every single day, no matter what, my family has dinner together. Regardless of whether someone is returning home late or feeling tired, we eat together. It's the one time of the day when there are no distractions. We talk about our days, have political debates- you name it. For us, food is a unifying force. We bring it as gifts and spend time bonding together by cooking. It's so much more than something you consume. The experience of sharing my cultural dishes with my non-Bengali friends and witnessing their genuine appreciation for the diverse flavours (and spices) has greatly influenced my life, reinforcing the timeless power of food in connecting people across cultures. When it comes to pickles specifically, I always thought I had no connections to them whatsoever, but it turns out I was incredibly wrong. Until last year, pickles were a somewhat foreign concept to me. See, cucumbers are my favourite vegetable, but I somehow had no idea that pickles were actually just pickled cucumbers. I always figured they just grew underground or something like that. The realisation that pickles were made from cucumbers was undoubtedly one of the most surprising discoveries I've ever encountered. My lack of understanding about pickles is likely why I never realised their significant role in my household. In Bangladeshi culture, we have something called "achar." It's similar to a condiment; some people eat it on its own, but it's somewhat of a staple in our culture. My parents are crazy about it. I mean, they polish off jars and jars of the stuff every single week. I never really bothered to ask what Achar was made of. All I can recall is how, when I was little, my mom used to coax me into trying it. However, the moment that pungent aroma hit my nose, I couldn't help but make these exaggeratedly disgusted faces, and it never failed to make everyone in my family burst into laughter. It's a memory that's etched in my mind. So, picture my amazement when I shared my pickle-making adventures with my family, and they unveiled the astonishing fact that Achar is essentially pickled fruit. It turns out that all my life, I had been surrounded by the art of pickling without even realising it. Ultimately, my exploration into the realm of pickles not only unveiled a heartwarming connection to my family's culinary heritage but also served as a reminder that remarkable stories can often be concealed within the everyday aspects of our lives.
Throughout this course we have done various tasks and assignments that will always have a special place in my heart and that I will always remember. One of those things is when we cook. When we cook it just brings out joy and comfort throughout the whole class.
Throughout this course, we have had the opportunity to engage in various tasks and assignments, each of which has left a lasting impression on me. However, one particular experience stands out above the rest - cooking. I have found that cooking together with my classmates has been a source of immense joy and comfort, fostering a sense of togetherness and community that is truly special.
When we cook, we each take on different tasks, working in harmony to produce a delicious meal. And when it's time to eat, we all sit down together, savouring the flavours and discussing our thoughts on the food. These moments of reflection and camaraderie have been some of the most memorable of my time in this course.
Moreover, cooking has allowed me to expand my culinary horizons, trying new dishes and discovering new flavours that I never would have otherwise. I have gained valuable recipes and techniques that I can apply in my own cooking, making this experience all the more rewarding.
An interesting moment that I connected to personally was every time we cooked together as a class. I feel very connected to food and I always get excited when cooking a new recipe from a different cuisine. I have learned how to cook since the age of 12 to learn how to become more independent so that when I move out, I don’t have to worry about starving. These new recipes are affordable to make and very delicious and healthy. During the pandemic I wanted to get more peace with all the issues happening around the world and in my family so cooking was my escape and I really started to enjoy it. Cooking in this class was very therapeutic and I felt very joyful when I ate the food I made.
This course has taught me countless methods to create meals, brainstorm, and use ingredients. It made it explicitly clear how important food is in one’s life, how it is more than just satisfying your stomach. Food allows me to connect to my culture, to my family and community, and being in a diverse classroom I was able to communicate with other students who expressed the same opinion. Making the pickles was an experience that stood out. Pickling is a method where the products are a food staple in my family. Hearing stories from my parents and grandparents about how in winter food was even more scarce compared to regular seasons, and all they mainly ate were pickled foods. Growing up comfortably in Canada, food is readily available to me, and I can indulge in a vast variety of foods from all over the world. But there is something comfortable in preparing and eating the foods that my parents and those before them ate, foods that are so simple yet allowed them to survive such harsh times, and not only satisfying their hunger but also giving them time to get together and be a family. The pickling day allowed me to feel connected with my family.
During the course, some moments that made me feel connected to my culture, my community and history were harvesting tomatoes, the pickling day and making challah bread. Harvesting the tomatoes reminds me of the stories my grandmother told me about her living on a farm and how they would grow their own food. On the other side of my family, many members were working within the agriculture and forest industry. Harvesting produce grown using sustainable practices reminds me of them and their impactful professions, plus I had the opportunity to practise activities they would have done. Furthermore, Pickling is a much widespread practice within my family, community and historically, a practice that allowed my family to persevere during the colder seasons. This method was especially used during times when people grew their own food and is a form of self-sufficiency. Due to its reliance, there are those within my community and family who still use this method despite living in “grocery-store dependent” societies. Lastly, challah bread is not something I eat but it reminds me of a Romanian sweetbread (Cozonac) that is commonly eaten during Christmas time and Easter. For me it is a symbol of ending a fast, celebrating a religious holiday and getting together with my family. Since it is considered a complicated bread to make, the recipe calls for assistance from the women of the family and allows for more quality time spent together. Food is more than satisfying our taste buds, but it connects us to our culture, our communities and to our ancestors.