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As Indians, we are quite familiar with the idea of pickles aka achaar. Be it any meal and whatever on our plate, a small spoon of that achaari masala takes our dish a notch higher. Till now, we thought it was only us who loved to spice up our meals a little but seems like the Italians are not far behind too. They had giardiniera all this while and we didn’t know.
For the uninitiated, giardiniera is a mix of vegetables that are pickled and then eaten. The pickling agent could either be vinegar or oil. Vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, celery and chile peppers are chopped and added to the mix. In Italy, this mix of veggies was originally devised as a method to preserve the abundance of harvest. The Italians generally chop large chunks of the vegetables and soak them in vinegar. It is considered a great way to protect them from the winter.
Chicago was introduced to this fiery pickled mix only in the 19th century when Italian immigrants brought giardiniera to the American land with them. It’s interesting to note how quickly the people adapted this Italian delight to their culture. From burgers to sandwiches to pizza and tacos, you name it and giardiniera will find a perfect spot for itself in there.
However, certain tweaks in the style of cooking are bound to happen. Chicago- style uses oil instead of vinegar to submerge the vegetables which are thinly-sliced to be used as a condiment. Italians like their giardiniera just the way it is, often as part of anti-pasto. Italian beefs and subs taste so good with this pickly condiment.
The acidity, salt and and hot peppers play some great flavours in your mouth. If you’re thinking of exploding your mouth with a burst of such flavours, try this giardiniera recipe by The Spruce Eats today.
