A pickled carrot is a carrot that has been

pickled Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called ...

in a brine,

vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...

, or other solution and left to ferment for a period of time, by either immersing the carrots in an acidic solution or through souring by lacto-fermentation. Pickled carrots are often served with

Vietnamese cuisine Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish refle ...

including

bánh mì In Vietnamese cuisine, or banh mi (, ; , "bread") is a short baguette with thin, crisp crust and soft, airy texture. It is often split lengthwise and filled with savory ingredients like a submarine sandwich and served as a meal, called ''bá ...

or as a component in an appetizer.

Common variations

In Mexico, pickled carrots are known as

escabeche __NOTOC__ Escabeche is the name for a number of dishes in Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino and Latin American cuisines, consisting of marinated fish, meat or vegetables, cooked or pickled in an acidic sauce (usually with vinegar), and colored w ...

carrots. This variation is usually pickled in vinegar with onions, peppers, and spices. They maintain a crunchy, carrot texture with flavors of peppers and other seasonings. These spicy, pickled vegetables are traditionally served with a meal. In Vietnamese culture, pickled carrots are served alongside

appetizer An hors d'oeuvre ( ; french: hors-d'œuvre ), appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the m ...

s including Vietnamese egg rolls, or as an ingredient in recipes such as

and various soups. In Vietnamese-American markets, pickled carrot and

daikon Daikon or mooli, ''Raphanus sativus'' var. ''longipinnatus,'' is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root. Originally native to continental East Asia, daikon is harvested and consumed ...

are available to buy in bulk, and in Vietnam, the two pickled vegetables are sold by wet market vendors in small plastic bags. They are not canned and should be refrigerated, although they may last for long amounts of time in the refrigerator. Japanese cuisine may use pickled carrots alongside many traditional Japanese meals. Pickled fruits and vegetables (

tsukemono are Japanese preserved vegetables (usually pickled in salt, brine, or a bed of rice bran). They are served with rice as an ''okazu'' (side dish), with drinks as an '' otsumami'' (snack), as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a ...

) are a quintessential part of the Japanese diet. Pickling in Japan has taken place since before refrigeration, so tsukemono such as pickled carrots was made to last long amounts of time. The different methods used to make tsukemono vary from simple salting or vinegar brining, to other various processes involving cultured molds and fermentation. A common method of pickling carrots is called misozuke. Misozuke pickles are made by covering vegetables in miso so give them the salty, miso flavor. Alternatively, pickled carrots may be prepared in the nukazuke fashion — fermented in a mixture of roasted

rice bran Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the hard outer layers of cereal grain. It consists of the combined aleurone and pericarp. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, ...

, salt,

konbu ''Konbu'' (from ja, 昆布, konbu or kombu) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' ( ko, 다시마) or ''haidai'' (). Kelp features in the diets of many ...

, and other ingredients.

Nukazuke is a type of Japanese preserved food, made by fermenting vegetables in rice bran (nuka), developed in the 17th century. Almost any vegetable may be preserved using this technique, although some common varieties include eggplants, daikon, cabb ...

pickled carrots are usually served alongside set meals. In India, traditional pickled carrots are known as gajar nu athanu. They are pickled with skinned mustard seeds for flavor and heat, and served alongside meals. These are more quickly prepared and ready to eat within 24 hours. Variations of pickled carrots are found all over the world. Pickling has been practiced for centuries and carrots used as seeds, wild roots, and medicine (although the purple variation was domesticated in Central Asia ca. 900 CE), can be traced as far back as 200 BC.

References

{{reflist Pickles Indian cuisine Japanese cuisine Vietnamese cuisine

Common variations

See also

References