Pickled Foods

Cucumbers aren't the only food worth brining. Here, some of the odder items that people pickle.

For centuries, people around the world have used pickling to preserve out-of-season foods. Here's a sampling of some of the most popular ingredients.

Kimchee 
Usually a mix of cabbage, fish paste, and chili peppers fermented in brine; accompanies rice at almost every meal in Korea.

Preserved Lemons 
Pickled in salt, water, and lemon juice (and sometimes with sweet nigella flower seeds); served in Morocco in meat tagines and with roast chicken.

Pig's Feet 
This American soul-food classic is preserved in a vinegar brine and usually eaten as a snack.

Duck Eggs 
Immersed in a saltwater brine for a week or more; often used for hard or soft boiling in China.

Mangoes 
Preserved in a mixture of salt, oil, and spices, such as cayenne pepper and mustard seeds; in India, eaten as a snack or served with rice at meals.

Source: Pickled, by Lucy Norris (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, amazon.com $22.50).