Pickling cucumbers are a small, thin-skinned variety, usually 2 to 6 inches long with bumpy skin, grown and harvested specifically for pickling rather than for eating raw or in salads. Compared with slicing cucumbers, they are firmer and less watery, which lets them stay crisp after sitting in brine, and their flesh is more concentrated in flavor. Cornichons are a related but distinct product: very small pickling cucumbers harvested while still immature and pickled whole, common in French cooking as an accompaniment to charcuterie and pate. Major commercial growing regions include the American Midwest, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia. Beyond dill pickles and cornichons, pickled cucumbers appear as banchan in Korean meals and as a garnish for grilled meats and rice dishes across East Asia.