Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Fact of the Day : In the world of food and drink, what was a liberty cabbage?

liberty cabbage During the First World War any reference in the USA to things German was deemed unpatriotic, and this included foodstuffs. An alternative name had therefore to be found for sauerkraut, and the choice fell on liberty cabbage. The image appealed to was presumably of America as the land of the free, defending the liberty of the world against German tyranny. Similar inspirations were liberty sandwich for ‘hamburger sandwich’ (compare Salisbury steak) and, beyond the gastronomic sphere, liberty measles for ‘German measles’.

"liberty cabbage" An A-Z of Food and Drink. Ed. John Ayto. Oxford university Press, 2002. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 12 July 2011