There are two types of people in this world, those who love pickles and those who hate them. If you are on either side of the coin, there is an interesting tradition you either love or hate: getting a pickle with your sandwich.
It has been common in many delicatessens in the United States to get a pickle along with your sandwich. If you are a fan of pickles, then you may delight when you see one on your plate.
This leads many people to wonder why it occurs at many delicatessens. In reality, there are several reasons why you would want to serve the pickle with the sandwich or hamburger. It also has a lot to do with the origin.
According to SFGate, one of the main reasons why you could get a pickle with your sandwich is because of your taste buds. When you bite into the dill taste of a pickle, it prepares your taste buds for the flavors that are coming next. In other words, it can cleanse the palate.
Spoon University goes even further in discussing how the acidity in pickles can neutralize the taste of food. If you have lingering strong flavors, it can remove them and prepare your palate to enjoy the sandwich.
Cleansing the palate is something that is seen in many countries. It is common, although it takes on different forms, such as cheese or a salad.
Another reason you may get a pickle on your plate is food balancing. The foods balance each other out when you have fatty food (the sandwich) and acidic food (the pickle).
If you aren’t a fan of pickles, you could also try some coleslaw or sauerkraut. They have a similar acidic action. Some salt and vinegar chips also work well.
Now we get around to putting the pickle on the sandwich, which is very common with cheeseburgers. These flavors work well with each other and complement each other.
When you add a pickle to a sandwich, it helps to balance out the fatty portion of the sandwich. It isn’t always birds of a feather that flock together when it comes to your food.
Regarding the origin of including a pickle with the sandwich, it may have originated in New York City. As early as 1659, Dutch farmers were selling pickles in Brooklyn, according to 158 Main.
Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe to New York City may have also started including pickles with sandwiches in the 1800s, according to Mental Floss. It was only a short time before it moved into other delicatessens and today is relatively standard.
Whether you love the pickle or hate it, it’s a part of the American dietary world that you can’t get beyond.