The idea surfaces in my mind more frequently than I’d like to acknowledge.
An early human, forgotten by history, looked at a sheep’s udder and thought: ‘I want some of that.’
Another bold individual, unsatisfied with simply drinking animal milk, observed a puddle of it turning sour and decided not only to preserve it but to allow it to become increasingly rotten before consuming it.
There’s a purpose to sharing these peculiar daydreams; throughout history, humanity has taken numerous leaps of faith to discover the foods we now depend on and enjoy.
I sampled the KFC pickle burger and tried a pickle juice Pepsi (Image: KFC)
Popstar Dua Lipa is an unlikely candidate to join this group of culinary trailblazers.
However, when all is said and done, one striking online admission may prove to be her true legacy, regardless of her music career.
Because approximately a year ago, she revealed to her numerous followers that she enjoys drinking cola mixed with – brace yourself – pickle brine.
The TikTok algorithm must have been delighted, as a trend emerged, with content creators across the internet racing to film themselves trying the beverage.
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KFC executives observed the phenomenon. But now, they’ve finally joined in with their latest limited-time offerings: a burger loaded with pickles and pickle sauce, frickles (fried pickles for the uninitiated), pickle-topped fries, and Pepsi served with a shot of pickle juice for those wishing to emulate the pop star.
It appears to have been successful, as when I visited my local restaurant to try the menu, the pickle mania meal – a collection of all these items – had sold out, including the pickle juice Pepsi.
Not discouraged, I purchased a pickle burger and created my own drink using juice from a jar in my refrigerator, adding a few cornichons instead of lemon wedges.
Allowing the flavors to meld, I dug into the burger.
The sauce bore some similarity to Ranch dressing, which I enjoy, so this was a version of the tower burger I could support.
But the real question remains, how was the beverage I consumed afterward?
Ms. Lipa and I must be closely related to the unconventional individuals I described earlier, because I also found it quite tasty.
Like salted caramel and sweet and sour sauce, there’s merit to contrasting flavors.
After all, lemon and lime are acceptable companions for cola, and they too are acidic and tangy.
So to all the skeptics, I say: respect different tastes, and hurrah for culinary innovation.
