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Overview
liberty cabbage
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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’.
Subjects: Society and culture — Cookery, Food, and Drink
