Country of Origin FRANCE
Crisp, tart pickles made from tiny gherkin cucumbers. The gherkin is a fruit similar in form and nutritional value to a cucumber. Gherkins and cucumbers belong to the same species but are different cultivar groups. They are usually picked when 4 to 8 cm in length and pickled in jars or cans with vinegar (often flavored with herbs, particularly dill; hence, dill pickle) or brine to resemble a pickled cucumber. The term can also be used to refer to the West Indian Burr Gherkin (Cucumis anguria), a related species, originally from West Africa and introduced to the West Indies, probably by the Portuguese. It is edible and may be pickled, but must be picked when no longer than 4 cm long, since it becomes bitter and spiny if allowed to grow larger.