#WWI #Sauerkraut #LibertyCabbage
Hey, did you know that during World War I, sauerkraut producers in America actually relabeled their product as ‘liberty cabbage’ 🥬? It’s true! They did this because there were concerns that the public would reject a product with a German name. 🇩🇪 Can you imagine that? It just goes to show how much impact war can have on everyday things, even food. 🌍
Just think about it – imagine going to the store and asking for sauerkraut, but instead, you’re handed a jar labeled ‘liberty cabbage.’ It’s pretty wild, right? 🤯 And it’s interesting to see how language and marketing can change during times of conflict.🏛️
So next time you’re enjoying a hot dog with sauerkraut on top, remember the history behind that tangy, fermented cabbage! And who knows, there might be a whole lot of other cool food-related facts from history just waiting to be discovered. 🌭📚
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerkraut?wprov=sfti1
My grandad still called it that after the war. It was weird hearing that in the 1970s.
Should have called it freedom leaves.
see also: Salisbury Steak vs. Hamburgers and hot dogs vs. frankfurters
I learned about this from the Ellis island museum. I was over that way for work and went on the weekend. This was not long after the whole freedom fries business. Between this and the immigration numbers they had (this was also in a time of screaming about immigration) I just had to shake my head at how little progress we’ve made
German was also the second most spoken language in the US at the time. As a result of a strong cultural suppression campaign it is hardly spoken in the US today.
The tricky part is we can’t really talk about it anymore because the right wants to pretend minorities are never oppressed and the left doesn’t invest a lot of energy in white minorities. There’s also the risk that white nationalists will distort the facts to suit the narrative that whites have always been oppressed.
But some of us had grandparents who immigrated to the US from Germany when you weren’t supposed to be German in America. A lot of them found enclaves where it was ok to be German, like the north side of Chicago.
Anyway, it’s important to note this TIL in a broader context. No race or nationality has ever been exempt from anglicization by US cultural norms.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language_in_the_United_States
In Germany it’s a cooked side dish, in the west people eat it raw………. for some reason
I bet because I remember growing up I always heard the old heads talking about the “krauts” and I don’t think it was in a good way.
We are so dumb. And it’s not a new thing.
What about Hamburgers? Lol
Noticed recently that here in Finland *Russian Cucumbers* has been relabeled *Fermented Cucumbers*. Fine for me. Slava Ukraine!
The original Freedom Fries
In Canada, the entire town of Berlin, Ontario was renamed to Kitchener! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin-to-Kitchener_name_change
Now, my story begins in nineteen-dickety-two. We had to say “dickety” cause that Kaiser had stolen our word “twenty.”
We do shit like this and freedom fries and then we laugh at North Korea because of their weird propaganda, shit’s wild
It wasn’t just sauerkraut, they also renamed German Measles to “Liberty Measles”; New Berlin in Ohio was renamed to North Canton; and Berlin, Michigan was renamed to Marne.
🤡🤡🤡
And then that became illegal when prohibition came into effect
Something about putting “liberty” or “freedom” in front of names is weird
Mmm, liberty cabbage with a side of freedom fries
Freedom Fries
Back in my day we called sushi liberty logs.
And we called liberty cabbage “super slaw” and back then a suitcase was known as a “swedish lunchbox.” Of course, nobody knew that but me.
Yeah… “liberty fries”… good times.
Such a quaint time. Glad we don’t try to use silly semantic tricks like that in the 21st century.
Want some Freedom Fries to you Liberty Cabbage?
Understandable, I’ll never buy anything Russian again. I’m struggling to think of anything other than vodka but when I think of something I’ll be sure not to buy it.
And German Shepherds were called Alsatians.
Yes. We also called hamburgers “Liberty steaks”, dachshunds “Liberty pups”, and German Measles “Liberty measles” – not sure why we bothered with the last one.
A Canadian town called Berlin charged its manned to Kitchener (a British General) and never changed back.
I do love me some Spicy Blood Cabbage.
Similar to freedom fries when the French condemned the war in Iraq I believe?
Long Valley in NJ was originally called German Valley till WWI
Three wars back we called sauerkraut “liberty cabbage” and we called liberty cabbage “super slaw” and back then a suitcase was known as a “Swedish lunchbox.” Of course, nobody knew that but me. Anyway, long story short… is a phrase whose origins are complicated and rambling.
Look, freedom farts are fine, no matter what we call what you eat to get them.
Almost as stupid as “freedom fries” lol.