There was a time when pickles were mostly relegated to a cheese and pickle sandwich, a Big Mac, or left untouched on a charcuterie board.

But today, pickles (particularly pickle flavour) have gone from a love/hate ingredient, to one of the most enduring and adaptable food trends of the last decade. What started as a novelty in crisps and snacks has infiltrated menus across the UK and world-wide and has solidified its presence in multiple territories and sectors.

Where it all began

The roots of the fried pickle craze can be traced back to the States in the 1960s. They were initially popularised by Bernell “Fatman” Austin, who built a drive-in restaurant in Arkansas opposite ‘Atkins Pickle Company’. He started toying with the idea of a gimmick to attract additional business, and it worked – he’d perfected the recipe by the summer, and they sold for just 15 cents each in 1963.  This new creation gained popularity, and many other restaurants, especially in the South, began to recreate the fried dill pickle. To this day, the Austin recipe is only known to his family and used once each year at an annual Picklefest in Atkins, held each May.

By the 2000s, the golden bites appeared on countless Southern chain menus and established themselves as a side staple in state fairs and sports bars. During this time, American-style Diners began gaining popularity in the UK, particularly London, via street food markets and BBQ spots such as MEATliquor and Honest Burgers.

Pickle-flavoured snacks were also starting to appear in niche food stores and import shops, mainly driven by curiosity around American snack culture.

From LTO to Everyday Item

Then in 2020, the Van Holten’s “Pickle-in-a-Pouch”, a super sour, brine-soaked whole pickle, went absolutely viral on TikTok, with consumers and snack reviewers filming themselves trying the different flavours. Us Gen Z’ers embraced the novelty, and suddenly, pickle-flavoured everything was trending.

Subsequently, over the past few years, we’ve seen hundreds of pickle flavoured releases, including snacks and condiments such as Dill Pickle & Jalapeño from Kettle Crisps and Serious Pig, Heinz Pickle Ketchup, M&S Jalapeno Pickle Flavour Peanuts & Hot Honey Corn and BeSaucy – Dill & Gherkin Mayonnaise.

We’ve also seen a rise in pickle shots on online recipe pages, and more recently consumed after sports by tennis players, such as #2 tennis player in the world, Carlos Alcaraz, to reduce muscle cramps. In addition, there has been a rise in daring homemade flavour combinations, such as this peanut butter and pickle ice cream recipe!

What I find surprising is not just how popular pickles have become, but how persistent they’ve been – in a world where food trends turnover so quickly, pickle flavour has proven remarkably resilient.

Why are we still obsessed? I’d say the appeal is a combination of nostalgia, bold flavour punch, and adaptability. Turns out, it’s kind of a big dill.

Sources:

www.instagram.com/p/DKwUQ42oRxJ/

encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/fried-dill-pickles-2922/

Abi Fraser
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