We tried to get a pickle bouquet kit from Grillo’s; the kit was supposed to be available on their merch website from January 28th and delivered before Valentine’s Day.

Instead, a notice that “This product is unavailable” greeted us. Does that mean it’s sold out? A factory delay?

Whatever; the page lists the contents, so we picked them up at a home improvement store.

Why a pickle bouquet for Valentine’s Day? Because some people would rather have tangy pickles than sweets.

There are also 14 other holidays below where a pickle bouquet would fit right in.

You can create the bouquet in a nice vase, pitcher, or Mason jar and make that part of the gift, or can use something sustainable like a re-purposed large jar or coffee can*.

You won’t believe the number of pickle holidays where this concept may come in handy.

> Check out the year’s 9 pickle holidays below.

> Also below: why pickles are classified as condiments.

> The history of pickles.

> The different types of pickles: a photo glossary.
 
 
RECIPE: PICKLE BOUQUET

We tied a wide red satin ribbon around the vase instead; not only is it reusable, but more attractive than the tissue paper.

You can enjoy it with a Pickle Martini (photos #6, #7, #8):

 
They are also popular garnishes for Bloody Marys (photos #9 and #10).
 
Ingredients

For The Container

 
Cucumber Pickles & Other Pickles

If you know what types of pickles the recipient does (and doesn’t) like, great: You can buy (or make) as many types as fit the bill. Use spears instead of whole large pickles, which are too heavy for an arrangement like this.

 
Add Color:

 
Plus:

 
Preparation

1. WASH the container, rinse the foam base and the skewers. Fit the foam base into the vase.

2. SET OUT the food ingredients and blot the brine from them. Plan how to arrange them on the skewers (we actually sketched this out). Up to this point, you can wrap the skewers in plastic and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the bouquet.

3. ADD the filled skewers to the vase. Fill in the spaces with herbs.
 
 
THE YEAR’S 9 PICKLE HOLIDAYS

 
Related Holidays

 
Note: Pickleball has no relationship to pickles. It does, however, have its own holiday, August 8th. The game was named after the “pickle boat” in rowing, which is a mismatched crew assembled from the leftovers of other crews. The founders agree: The game was created from various (mismatched) sports equipment.
 
 
WHY ARE PICKLES CLASSIFIED AS CONDIMENTS?

A pickle is often considered a condiment because it enhances the flavor of foods, rather than being a main or side dish itself. Think of its qualities:

 
You can also pickle fruits:

 
 
________________
 
*Your container should be heavy and wide (as opposed to tall and narrow). The pickles are heavy and you don’t want the vase. If you use a coffee can or other lighter object, add marbles or cooking weights to the bottom.

†Flowering herbs: Perfection would be to have herbs in flower, but only a great gardener can plan that.

‡There’s much more than cucumber pickles. Just about any vegetable, and many fruits [photo #12], can be pickled. Especially common are beets, cocktail onions, dilly beans (green beans—photo #10), giardiniera (mixed pickled vegetables), and jalapeños.
> Charcuterie and cheese boards: Pickled vegetables of any type complement cured meats and cheeses. Cornichons are typically served with pâté other cured meats.
> Cocktails: Pickle juice and/or spears are used in Bloody Marys, Martinis, and Picklebacks.
> Salads: Chopped pickles or pickle relish are often used in coleslaw, macaroni salad, and egg salad—not to mention deviled eggs.
> Sauces and Dressings: Finely chopped pickles are mixed into tartar sauce, rémoulade, and Thousand Island dressing.
> Smoked meats, barbecue, and fried fish: Tangy pickles help cut through the richness of fatty meats like brisket and pulled pork. They present a complementary flavor to fried fish.
> Sushi and rice dishes: Pickled ginger, daikon, or other pickled veggies are served alongside sushi and rice bowls. Called tsukemono in Japanese, they are most popularly cucumber, daikon (Japanese radish), eggplant, lotus root, and plums (umeboshi).
> Pizza: Dill pickles and pickled jalapeños are added to pizza and flatbreads such as BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza, Big Mac Pizza, Cheeseburger Pizza, Cuban Sandwich Pizza, Dill Pickle Pizza, and Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza.
 

[12] Pickled figs are delicious with everything from cheese and charcuterie boards to roasted meats and even withw vanilla ice cream. Here’s the recipe (photo © California Figs).
 

[1] For Valentine’s Day or any of the pickle holidays: a pickle bouquet (photos #1 and #3 © Grillo’s Pickles.

[2] Pickle spears (photos #2 and #4 © Good Eggs).

[3] Halves are better than whole pickles because they’re lighter and won’t tip over the jar.

[4] You can skewer pickle chips for the bouquet, and add them as a garnish to a Bloody Mary or Martini (photos #1 and #7).

[5] After you decide upon the size of the vase, you’ll know what length of bamboo skewers to purchase. These are 12” (photo © DaTpuik | Amazon).

[6] A Pickle Martini, garnished with a cornichon and a cocktail onion. See the link to drink recipes at the end of the Pickle Bouquet recipe (photo Elvira Kalviste | The Nibble).

[7] You can garnish a drink with pickle chips on a skewer, or skewer the chips on a a bamboo spear for the bouquet. Or both (sorry, we can’t find the origin of this photo).

[8] Pickles are popular garnishes for Bloody Mary’s. Here, dilly beans (pickled green beans) and a dill pickle spear garnish the drink (photo © Italienne Restaurant | NYC (permanently closed).

[9] Bloody Mary with a garnish of pickled asparagus, pickled onions, pickle chips, and olives (photo © Hella Bitters).

[10] V8 Juice | Bloody Mary Society | Facebook).

[10] Bright red peppadews, sweet piquanté peppers that are always pickled and sold in jars, contribute color as well as a sweet and slightly spicy flavor profile (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

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[1] These beautiful heirloom potato chips were created to pair with the finest caviar (photos #1, #2, and #4 © Petrossian).

[2] The brand has been given the name Tiyapuy‡.

[3] The potato chips were created to partner with caviar (photo © California Caviar | Facebook).

[4] The best in the world: caviar from Petrossian.

[5] You can make gourmet chocolate-covered potato chips by dipping Petrossian’s chips in your favorite artisan chocolate bar.Here’s the video via Buzz Feed Tasty.

[6] But you can buy these from Sweet Designs (Abacus Photo).

If your Valentine has a passion for gourmet potato chips, might he or she want to try “the best?”

In this case, the best means light on the salty and oilyness. These chips were created by Petrossian to pair with their world-famous caviar.

Of course, a tin of caviar along with the chips would make a truly memorable Valentine’s gift, but the heirloom potato chips are special on their own.

If you expect to share, by two canisters.

Says Petrossian, “For years, we’ve been searching for the perfect potato chip to pair with our incomparable caviar. It wasn’t easy. Many were too salty. Some were too bland. Others clashed with the buttery brine and complex flavors of our caviar.

“But in the Andes mountains, we discovered a strain of native, organic potatoes that have remained unchanged for thousands of years. [Editor’s note: Potatoes are indigenous to the Andes]

“Lightly seasoned with Maras salt and delicately prepared in sunflower oil, this mixture of colorful chips provides any pairing with a crisp texture and a robust, earthy tone.”

The salt is also exceptional. Maras pink salt, also known as pink Peruvian salt, is one of the world’s finest. There’s more about it below.

Whether you’re topping the chips with caviar, enjoying them on their own, or dipping them in chocolate (photos #5 and #6), these Andean delights contribute to a beautiful celebration.

> Get your Petrossian potato chips here.
 

Below:

> About Maras salt from Peru.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of potatoes.

> The history of potato chips.

> The different types of potatoes: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 30 potato holidays.

> The year’s 90 snack holidays.
 
 
ABOUT MARAS SALT FROM PERU

Also known as Salt of the Incas, this special pink, flavorful salt is extracted from the Maras Salt Mines in Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Don’t confuse it with Maris Sal, also known as Dead Sea Salt, which has its own special qualities but is a very different product.

Maras salt comes from Peru: the District of Maras, Province of Urubamba, Department of Cusco, approximately 4,000 meters above sea level (photo #8).

It produces a 100% natural spring salt, with high mineral content (calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, among others).

The pink color of the salt comes primarily from its iron oxide content, along with other trace minerals. Since it is not refined or bleached like table salt, its natural pinkish color and mineral complexity are retained.

For many thousands of years, the area has had a subterranean hypersaline (salt water) spring. The resurgence* comes from the middle of the mountain, bringing high-salinity salt water infused not just with iron, but with calcium, magnesium and potassium as well.

The mines have been worked since pre-Inca times, for more than 500 years†. The Incas expanded and developed the salt terraces (photo below), and local communities have continued to harvest salt using traditional methods ever since.

The Incas determined how to channel the water inside the mountain into outdoor pools where the sun evaporates and crystallizes it into salt. These salt pans are still in use today, operated by local families using ancestral techniques.

Today, the Salt Mines of Maras (Salineras de Maras) are worked by families from the Maras and Pichingoto communities, who have inherited the salt ponds. The salt cultivation techniques from generation to generation.

Different varieties of Maras salt are available: fine grain, coarse grain, spiced, smoked, and citric salt for seafood.

> You can purchase them here.

> The different types of salt: a photo glossary.

[7] The different grinds of pink salt (photo via Saltworks | Facebook and and Facebook).
 
 

[8] The salt beds at Salineras de Maras (photo © T Fernandez | Panther Media).

†The Inca Empire spanned 1438 to 1533. It began when Pachacuti became emperor in 1438; he transformed the Kingdom of Cusco into a vast empire. The Empire reached its peak under Huayna Capac in the early 16th century, covering large parts of modern-day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The Empire’s decline began with the death of Huayna Capac around 1527, leading to internal strife. It ultimately fell to Spanish conquistadors, led by Francisco Pizarro, in 1533.

The Incas were one of the greatest civilizations in pre-Columbian America. They were master builders, developed advanced agricultural techniques including terrace farming in the steep mountains, had a centralized government with an efficient bureaucracy to manage the vast empire.

They promoted cultural exchange and religious practices throughout their territories, often integrating conquered peoples by offering them the chance to become part of the Empire rather than subjugating them.

‡Tiyapuy, the brand name of the potato chips, is a Quechua word. Quechua is the language spoken by the Incas and many indigenous Peruvians today. The meaning of “tiyapuy” generally conveys the idea of settling in a place, staying, or dwelling. It reflects the people’s deep connection to land.
 

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For a connoisseur of fine chocolate and fine cheese, this is an offering you won’t find anywhere else*: the Fromage Chocolate Collection from M. Cacao, which pairs artisanal cheeses with gourmet chocolate for a luxurious and memorable tasting experience.

It’s something super-special for the chocolate connoisseur, for Valentine’s Day or any other occasion. And it’s our Top Pick Of The Week (maybe of the year!).

M. Cacao is an artisan chocolatier based in Amesbury, Massachusetts, acclaimed for its innovative approach to chocolate-making. They craft unique flavors and textures, blending classic French techniques with modern artistic flair.

What inspired this rare experience of curated chocolate-and-cheese combinations, both classic and surprising?

> We describe each piece in detail below, but first, some notes about why chocolate and cheese pair so well.

> Also below: how to serve chocolate and cheese as a dessert course.
 
 
WHY DO CHEESE & CHOCOLATE PAIR BEAUTIFULLY?

Cheese and chocolate share complementary textures, flavors, and fundamental chemical properties that enhance each other. The science creates the deliciousness, specifically:

The balance of sweet and savory. Cheese is naturally salty and umami-rich, while chocolate brings sweetness and sometimes bitterness. This contrast creates a dynamic taste experience, much like how salted caramel works.

The flavor synergy of fat and creaminess. Both cheese and chocolate are rich in fats, which contribute to a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. In the case of bittersweet chocolate, the creaminess of cheese can soften the intensity of the natural bitter compounds.

Complementary flavor compounds. Aged cheeses develop nutty and caramel-like flavors that match well with the notes of roasted cacao.

 
Acidity and contrast. Some cheeses have a tangy acidity that cuts through the richness of chocolate, preventing the pairing from feeling too heavy. Examples include chevre, feta, ricotta salata, and aged cheeses such as Camembert and Taleggio.

The contrast of textures. Smooth, creamy chocolate melts in the mouth. Aged cheeses have a crumbly or firm bite, while creamy cheeses like Brie blend seamlessly with melted or soft chocolate.
 
 
GET YOUR M.CACAO CHOCOLATES

Read the details of each of the eight precious pieces below. But we didn’t want shopping information to get lost in the shuffle, so here’s where you can…

Head to M.Cacao.com to look at the Fromage Chocolate Collection choices, which include:

 
Additionally, M. Cacao offers the Chef’s Collection, an assortment of handcrafted chocolates that narrate the stories of their chefs through both classic and innovative flavors.

Another favorite of ours: Chile Caramels, which will be our Top Pick next week.

There’s also a seasonal special, Hearts & Roses, a box of chocolate-enrobed pieces with beautiful hearts filled with Champagne ganache and square Rose Caramels, accented with a piece of rose petal.
 
 
THE CHOCOLATE-CHEESE FLAVORS

[1] This is one of the eight creations from the Fromage Chocolate Collection, featuring pairings of chocolate ganache and artisanal cheeses in brightly enrobed in different types of chocolate (photos #1# through #9 and #12 © M. Cacao).

[2] The 16-piece box has two of each flavor.

[3] A center of Roquefort cheese and Port wine covered in dark chocolate.

[4] A center of tartuffo (truffle) cheese and pomegranate covered in dark chocolate.

[5] A center of Comté and peanut butter in a cloak of gold chocolate.

[6] A center of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and balsamic vinegar enrobed in gold chocolate.

[7] Close up on the bonbons, appropriately decorated with a goat (chèvre), sheep (Roquefort), Italy (Parmigiano Reggiano) and so forth.

[8] A very special option: You can record a video that’s embedded in the lid of the box.

[9] Is this a bonbon, a praline, or a truffle? The answer is in the footnote‡ below.

[10] Dulcey chocolate, invented by a French chef and Valrhona Chocolate, is the fourth type of chocolate after dark, milk, and white. The story is in the footnote* below (photo © Valrhona).

[11] Ruby or rose chocolate, the fifth type of chocolate after dark, milk, white, and blonde/gold/dulcey (photo © Barry Callebaut).

For a special occasion and a group of foodie friends, you can create your own chocolate and cheese course with fine chocolate bars and fine cheeses.

In addition to the flavors M. Cacao chose, you can:
 
 
Pair Dark Chocolate With…

 
 
Pair Milk Chocolate With…

 
 
Pair White Chocolate With…

White chocolate is sweeter and creamier than dark or milk chocolate, with a rich vanilla and cocoa butter flavor. They need cheeses that have a mild flavor but can stand up to the sweet creaminess.

 
 
> The different types of chocolate: a photo glossary.

> The different types of cheese: a photo glossary.

> The history of chocolate.

> The history of cheese.

________________
 
*Gold chocolate, also called blonde chocolate and dulcey chocolate, was a happy accident. The famous French pastry chef Frédéric Bau was in Japan for a chocolate trade fair. He let his white chocolate melt in a bain-marie a bit too long, which gave it a beautiful blonde hue and flavor and aroma notes of toasted shortbread and caramelized milk. Frédéric Bau had discovered a fourth color for chocolate. It took Valrhona eight years of research and development to develop the final Blond Dulcey recipe, officially releasing it in 2012 as the first “blonde chocolate.”

The name Dulcey comes from Frédéric Bau, who named it after the French word “dulce,” meaning sweet or sugary.

His creation made blonde/dulce/gold chocolate the fourth variety, after dark, milk, and white chocolates. The fifth variety available today, ruby/rose chocolate, was introduced in 2017 by Barry Callebaut. It was developed from a special variety of ruby cocoa beans and has a natural pink color with a fruity, berry-like flavor.

†Bonbon or bon bon is French for “good, good.” The full French term is bonbon de chocolat. They are also called chocolats fourrés assortis, assorted filled chocolates. A hard shell of chocolate is filled with a variety of centers.

Other countries use other words, creating confusion. The term is praline in Belgium—not to be confused with America’s southern pecan pralines, while in France, a praline is a caramelized almond.

To add to the confusion, the French word truffe (truffle), which refers to balls of ganache rolled in cocoa powder or other coatings (so-named because it resembles the black truffle fungus). In the U.S., the term is used by some to describe filled hard shells—i.e., bonbons and pralines. Unfortunately, there is no governing body to standardize terminology.

‡As cheese ages, it tastes saltier. As it loses moisture, which means the same amount of salt is distributed in a smaller volume. As the protein and fat break down the perception of saltiness as umami-rich compounds, like amino acid In long-aged cheeses like Parmigiano, Gouda, or Cheddar, tiny white calcium lactate crystals called tyrosines form. They add a crunchy texture and an extra boost of saltiness.

There are exceptions to these rules. For example, Emmental can be aged for a long time without developing more saltiness due to its mild fermentation process.
 
 

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