Pickles

There are pickle houses in almost every town and village. Individual vegetables are pickled whole or in large chunks; some are stuffed and others are sliced and wrapped around whole bulbs of garlic or hot peppers; in some parts of Anatolia unripe apricots are pickled. The locals on the Black Sea coast maintain that if a fish is not worth pickling, it is not worth eating. The method of pickling does not vary much - usually a combination of white wine vinegar and salt is used - and the pickles are never sweet. Attracting customers with its colourful array of jars in the window, the pickle shop is much frequented, particularly on hot days when the pickling liquid quenches the thirst. Pickles are also served with grilled meats and tripe soup, işkembe çorbası or as meze.