Escabeche has a fascinating history. The word originally comes from the Persian al-sikbaj, literally meaning “vinegar food”. After mingling with the Spanish, it eventually became part of the Spanish and then Latin American cultures. Today’s escabeche is most commonly known as a fish or other meat dish marinated in something sour like vinegar or another acid.

Around these parts (southern California), escabeche is a simpler way to say “pickled vegetables in escabeche style”. It is typically found as a condiment at the salsa bars of most Mexican restaurants. Usually it is “quick pickled,” meaning vinegar and no fermentation. Well, we “naturally” had to do something about that!

Due to the relatively dense texture of the veggies (carrots and cauliflower in particular), this is a good candidate for a long ferment. I have had a batch actively fermenting (at room tempearture) well past 2 months.