The Koolickle, from http://poeticfood.blogspot.com/2009/09/koolickle.html
Meet a newer tradition from the Mississippi delta, the koolickle. Essentially, it is a pickle soaked in Kool-Aid, and you can find the sweet and sour cucumbers in tiny convenience stores all around the state, and even in Texas and St. Louis.
More about the Koolickle after the jump.
I recently read this short blog post about it, and a search on Google Images led me to this blog post about the tradition. Apparently, Alton Brown even ate the things in his tv special, Feasting on Asphalt. Another blog post led me to this great NY Times article on the subject, and–can I just say–I freaking LOVE the NY Times food section and their coverage of both national and regional food trends? Thanks.
The article filled in a lot of blanks about the history of the koolickle, namely, that no one knows who the invented the candy pickle, but they do know that most of it’s consumers are younger, so it hasn’t been around for more than a decade or two. But consumers are serious about their koolickles, so don’t be surprised to see koolickles in your grocery store in the next few years. People have already begun to market their versions of koolickles on local Mississippi supermarkets, and it is only a matter of time before they are mass marketed.
If I had the chance, I would definitely try a koolickle. Would you? Do you have a favorite food item that is only made in a certain region of the U.S.? If so, share in the comments!
Happy Friday!
~LTG!
