When Zyayv Badalov bites into a pickle, he is often disappointed. "At home is the best," says the 74-year-old assembler of medical equipment that marinates various vegetables in his Tucson home.
Bringing a family tradition from the "old country" - Uzbekistan under the Soviet rule, Mr. Badalov and his wife pickle cabbage, carrots, roman tomatoes, eggplant and of course cucumbers. The key, he says, is knowing when to marinate cold or under heat.
And while his three married children appreciate and cherish the method and outcome, Mr. Badalov found that his grandchildren did not share the interest in the art. "Young people say, why work hard if you can buy it in a store?"
That is why Badalov and his sons, Rafoel, Roma and Robert, are looking forward to bringing their children to the traveling Kosher Pickle Factory that is coming to Tucson and presenting on Sunday, October 21, at 2:00 PM at the Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Road.
The nationally traveled instructor, Mendy Margolin who goes by the professional name of "Rabbi Pickle," is coming in from Brooklyn, NY, where pickles are the staple of any honorable deli sandwich.
"I will be walking all participants through the pickling process so everyone will get to take home their own personalized jar," he said about the hour-long presentation attended to date by over 10,000 people.
While the history of pickles stretches back 4000 years to residents of ancient Greece, Egypt and India, Margolin said the types of Mr. Badalov are a rarity today.
"Manhattan's Lower East Side was once populated by countless pickle vendors, today they established an International Pickle Festival to keep the art alive," he said.
The workshop is organized by Chabad of Tucson, a Jewish outreach network, and is open to the pubic. The cost is $18 for adults, $8 for children 12 and younger, and that includes all ingredients.
Reservations are a must - ChabadTucson.com/Pickle
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