Giardiniera, is an essential condiment in Chicago. It’s a spicy combination of olives, pickled chiles, cauliflower, carrots and celery in oil that accents Chicago-style foods, like deep-dish pizza or subs by adding heat, some acidity and crunch.
A Chicago Classic
Giardiniera in Chicago is in neighborhoods everywhere, on store shelves and restaurants. A traditional dish for locals might be might some cheese, a bread loaf and giardiniera.
Giardiniera wasn’t invented in Chicago, however. It’s originally from Italy, where the name means both female gardener and mixed pickles. The recipe was a way to preserve garden vegetables in wintertime. Giardiniera in Chicago most likely arrived with the local influx of Italian immigration in the latter part of the 1800s.
Based on Traditional Italian Recipes
The Chicago recipe varies from the Italian original, however, which typically used vinegar rather than oil. The switch to oil generally converts Giardiniera from an antipasti addition to more of a bright and acidic condiment for pizza or classic Chicago sandwiches, like an au jus Italian beef. It can also be a go-to ingredient for any dish, including a simple salad or even scrambled eggs.
Typical two-step Giardiniera preparation involves pickling vegetables for two weeks and then infusing them in oil. No standard recipe, though, allows for creative approaches, like hot red pepper versions and abundant sport pepper, carrot and cauliflower styles.
Giardiniera at a Chicago Italian Grocery
The house-brand at J.P. Graziano Grocery Co. Inc, a family-owned and operated fourth-generation Italian grocery in the Chicago West Loop, adds green and red pepper and even olives, based on a local recipe first added to its shelves in the 1950s. Today the grocery offers a range of traditional Italian foods and lunch catering in the 60601 and 60602 zip code areas.
