I loved the pickles from India--not spicy at all ...

People who know me might be surprised from the title of this post that, in the first place, I even had pickles from India.  And, perhaps shocked that I didn't find them spicy, given how "bland" my tastes have become over the years that I have been living outside the old country.

True, it has been years since I had Indian pickles.  This past December, when my mother made mango pickles at home, and despite her making it the least spicy that she could possibly make, my nose picked up the pungent chili smells and advised me to stay away.

So, what gives?  How come I had pickles from India and didn't find them spicy?

The clue lies in the phrasing: I didn't write "Indian pickles" but "pickles from India."

For lunch, I made myself one of my favorite sandwiches--grilled ciabatta bread, with pepperjack cheeese, thinly sliced red onions, capers, kalamata olives, and greens.  Served it on a plate, along with chips and pickles.  Pickles as in the tiny, baby, cucumber pickles.

While eating, which is rarely with any company anymore, I read.  Or watch TV.  Today, I had nothing to read.  And, I didn't feel like watching TV either.  So, I read whatever was in front of me.

The pickles bottle was in front of me.  I read the label, nutrition information, and ingredients.

And that is when I found the small print there: "Product of India"

Holy crap!

Who woulda thunk it!

All these years in Oregon, I have often bought this very brand of pickles--because I like the garlic that gives it a kick.  The only other bit of information I knew about this brand was its self-promotion as "A Northwest Favorite," which, according to the website:

NALLEY® Pickles has captured the taste of the Northwest since 1918... literally! Growing from our first crunchy pickles made near Tacoma, Washington, to our current wide selection of more than 40 pickle and relish products, we take great pride in creating flavorful spicing recipes specifically for tastes of our Northwest community – a claim only NALLEY® Pickles can make! Why? Because NALLEY® Pickles is sold only in the Northwest.

Northwest?  Now, after reading that fine print, I think they mean that it is sold in the Pacific Northwest, while the product is from India's northwest!

To further contradict their claims about being a regional specialty, the label on the bottle notes that it is distributed by a company that has its office in Illinois.  Hmmm, so, when did Illinois stop being in the Midwest and become a part of the Northwest?

I suppose this is yet another example of life in these modern times when very little of what we see is "real."  Whether pickles or politicians, it is all about false claims and marketing.  At least, these "northwest" pickles from India are tasty enough for me to keep buying them.

But, hey, that chili in the "very mild" pickles that mother made was all real.  Too real for my life :)