Giardiniera

While giardiniera might be a hard word to spell, it's well worth the time to learn how to pronounce it.

Anything this delicious, everyone should know how to ask for it by name!

So, without further eloquence, here is how to pronounce "giardiniera":

JAR - DIH - NAIR - AH

Just let it flow off your tongue a few times and you'll notice there is an ever-so-slight emphasis on the 3rd syllable (the "NAIR").

Sometimes, if you're in Chicago, you'll hear people dropping off the last syllable, so it sounds like "Jar-dih-NAIR". That's because in Chicago, we drop off lots of syllables from lots of words.

As an example, did you know what the word "Jyeetyet" means?

Well, there's really no such word, but you'll hear it in Chicago all the time. It translates to: "Did you eat yet?"

So, "Jar-Dih-Nair-Ah" or "Jar-Dih-Nair", take your pick. Either way it's delicious!

There are all kinds of ways to use giardiniera to liven up your meals. It's a great addition to any Italian dish, hot or cold. Further, giardiniera is versatile, so it can be added after a dish is prepared or baked right in.

Here are five of our favorite uses for giardiniera ...

Italian Beef Sandwiches: Giardiniera on an Italian beef sandwich is like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire ... they go great together. The crispy texture of the giardiniera perfectly complements the soft Italian roll and juicy, tender beef.

Pizza: Giardiniera on pizza is like the crown atop Miss America's head ... well, sort of. But it is the ideal finishing touch on a work of art. Add a few fork fulls after the pizza is served to liven up your pie. With a frozen pizza, spread giardiniera over the top before placing it in the oven. The giardiniera will bake right in and add a fantastic new taste dimension to the pizza.

Salads: Tumble some giardiniera into a tossed salad, pasta salad, or antipasto tray. You'll never find your salads boring again!



Scrambled Eggs and Omelets: Forget Bloody Marys, giardiniera for breakfast is the real eye opener! We like to add a fork full into scrambled eggs or fold it right into an omelet while it's cooking.

Baked Pasta: Giardiniera is the perfect accompaniment for any type of pasta dish, but it's particularly delicious when it's baked right in. If you find some pasta meals to be a little bland, add a kick of flavor and texture with hot or mild giardiniera.

No matter how your taste buds tingle, there's a style of giardiniera made just for you. Let's take a look at some of the more popular varieties ...

Hot Or Mild: Some like it hot (and some don't). And that's why there are hot and mild versions of giardiniera available. Over the last 20 years or so, hot and spicy condiments have really taken off, but hot giardiniera has been there all along.

Depending on the level of heat, certain types of hot peppers are used. The "normal" hot variety gives a pleasant, smoldering heat ... a heat that is designed to complement the food rather than overwhelm it. Hotter varieties, often labeled Extra Hot, sometimes use the devilish Scotch Bonnet pepper, one of the hottest peppers around.

On the other end of the spectrum, mild giardiniera doesn't add heat ... it just adds flavor. Try both the hot and mild and see which you like best!

Giardiniera Relish: When you look at a jar of traditional giardiniera, you'll be able to pick out all the ingredients by sight. You'll see the peppers, olives, celery, and so on.

With giardiniera relish, everything is minced. It doesn't change the flavor; it merely changes the appearance.

Giardiniera relish, invented about fifteen years ago by E. Formella and Sons, is sometimes preferred by diners because it's "neater". When we say neater, we mean it's easier to spread on a sandwich. You don't have chunks of peppers or celery rolling off the Italian beef or rolling off the pizza slice.



Eggplant Salad: Eggplant salad isn't really giardiniera, but it's made in the giardiniera style. Eggplant is cut into strips and added to the traditional giardiniera mix of vegetables, spices, and oil. Hot and mild varieties are available.

You can use eggplant salad the exact same way you use giardiniera. The eggplant adds a chewy and slightly salty dimension to the mix and simply put, it's one of the best condiments ever put into a jar in our humble opinion.

Here is our preferred vendor for delicious & reasonably priced giardiniera:

Italian Giardiniera