There are definitely certain basic foods in the world. I once had several foreign students over for dinner. Since I knew that dietary restrictions were going to be a problem, I decided to serve Tex-Mex self serve. I put out taco shells, tortillas, salsa, lettuce, cheese, tomatos, onions, a bowl of taco filling made with meat and a bowl of filling made with beans. I was most surprised when one of the students from India said, "Oh, it's just like home -- except for the meat and onions." (That was the first time I heard that certain castes in India didn't eat onions!) Then the Chinese students said, "We have food like this as well." So apparently the concept of the unleavened flour bread which I had always called a tortilla is a staple around the world. It is called by lots of different names, but the idea of wrapping thin bread around meat and/or vegetables is a nearly world wide meal. As for the pickled foods, putting something in vinegar is one of the easiest ways to preserve food. I suspect that lots of things got "pickled" when there was a danger that it might spoil. Our ancestors were very thrifty people. I am the first generation removed from the farm in my family. I do not live on a farm and do not have a garden. But I grew up in a household where the majority of our food came from what we grew rather than from the grocery store. And I've seen my mother get very creative when faced with an excess of some particular item. (When you run out of ideas, you find somebody else who needs the food. You NEVER waste it.) Barbara Cheri McElroy wrote: > > Hi - I don't mean to sound ignorant, but aren't pickled eggs (or > beets) just a simple, basic thing that people have been eating for > centuries in any country that has the ingredients? I've eaten them in > Germany, but also in Siberia. I've heard of them in English dishes . > . . it just seems like it could be called a "russian" dish as easily > as a "german" dish. Am I wrong in this? > - Cheri > Cheri Lee McElroy > cmcelroy@mexia.com > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/2840