Gherkins are small cucumbers (usually picked when very young) that are preserved in a salty, acidic pickling liquid and eaten as crunchy, tangy pickles.

What gherkins are

  • A gherkin is essentially a baby cucumber that has been pickled in brine, vinegar, and spices.
  • The word “gherkin” comes from a Dutch term meaning “small cucumber,” and usually refers to fruits about 1–5 cm (1–2 inches) long.
  • In many English-speaking countries, the word can also refer to the small, bumpy pickling cucumber itself or the pickle made from it.

Taste and texture

  • Gherkins are known for being very crunchy, with a bumpy skin and a firm bite compared with many larger pickles.
  • Their flavor ranges from sour and salty to slightly sweet, depending on whether they are brined with dill and garlic or with sweeter spices.

How they’re made

  • Gherkins are harvested young and then either:
    • Pasteurized in a vinegar-and-spice infusion (classic shelf-stable pickles), or
    • Fermented in salty brine using lactic acid bacteria, similar to sauerkraut.
  • Both methods preserve the cucumbers and give them their signature tangy flavor and long shelf life.

How people eat them

  • Commonly served with:
    • Sandwiches and burgers
    • Hot dogs
    • Cheese and charcuterie boards
    • Potato salads and spreads
  • Some people even eat them straight from the jar as a snack or as a salty, sour hangover bite.

Fun extra: not just food

  • “Gherkin” is also the name of a plain-language format used in software testing (for example, in Cucumber BDD tools), where scenarios are written with keywords like “Given,” “When,” and “Then.”

TL;DR: Gherkins are young, small cucumbers that are pickled in brine or vinegar to make crunchy, tangy little pickles, commonly used as a zesty side or garnish.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.