BRANSTON PICKLE

Branston pickle. For those who don't know what I am talking about, read on. For those who do, I can almost hear your lips salivating, as you say the magic words.

Branston pickle is one of the most delicious things in this world. It's a savoury pickle, made up of onions, other vegetables, vinegar, apples, dates and a mass of other things, including politically incorrect extracts and preservatives (the recipe has been the same since 1922, even if nutrition policy has changed in the meantime). It goes best on cheese, pate, salami, baked potatoes, pork pie, ham, and similar. Most things, really. It is widely available in any supermarket in the U.K., but very difficult to find abroad. In Denmark, it's impossible.

In my family, there are divergent opinions about it. My two sons and I think it is "wicked"; my wife and daughter think it's a bit yukkie. Despite that, my wife brought back two jars of it for me the last time she was in England. One has already gone, and I don't think the second will last very long. In fact, I know it won't.

Walter Blotscher