Edward Ilyasov

Illustration by Lea Kron

The corny pun nerve was itching as I began the intro to this article. I was in a real pickle as to what type of humor would activate maximum eye-rolling without risking retinal dislocation. So I let the ideas ferment a bit as I considered Edward Ilyasov’s overnight success. He morphed from a Columbia graduate with a degree in financial engineering to the owner of Uncle Edik’s Pickles. I soon realized that all my concerns didn’t amount to much of a big dill.

What are your culinary beginnings?

I was my mom’s little helper around the kitchen as a kid. My parents split when I was 18, and when I was living with my dad, I became the designated cook of the house. This helped build my culinary skills.

What’s your earliest pickle memory?

Two of my aunts (both named Nelly) stepped in and invited us over for delicious meals almost every Shabbat. One day after work, I visited one of these aunts. Aunt Nelly served me a plate of plov (a rice and lamb dish) with a pickle on the side. The pickle was unusually delicious and crunchy, so I asked her where she had bought it. Turned out she had made it!

She gave me the recipe, but the measurements were very vague. When I tried to make it myself, the result was a not-very-tasty, salty cucumber, not a pickle. After several attempts of my own, I finally created a delicious pickle, which was crunchy, delicious, and uniquely my own.