LL-L "Delectables" 2008.01.31 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  31 January 2008 - Volume 08
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
 Subject:Delectables

Folks,

I gilded our Sandy's lily by adding the following footnote:

A "swede" is a rutabaga in other English-speaking countries (*Brassica
napobrassic*a, or *Brassica napus* var. *napobrassica*).

German *Steckrübe*, Dutch *koolraap*, Low Saxon *Wruck*, *Ramanke*, *
Rutabaga*, *Smultrööv'*, etc.

This prompts me to mention that rutabagas (swedes) used to be a staple food
in Northern Germany, probably because they grow well under the particular
conditions, even in poor soil, thus tended to be plentiful and affordable.

Rutabagas used to be served with practically every main meal, pretty much
like potatoes. (I wonder if they preceded potatoes as a staple before
potatoes were introduced from the Americas.) In other words, rutabagas at
least used to be poor people's food. You could boil them, bake them, check
some of them into soups, mash them and mix some (usually inferior) meat or
fat into the mash for protein ... Hibernal famines, especially those of
World War I, used to be referred to as *Steckrübe**nwinter* ("rutabaga
winter(s)"). That and a few potatoes was all many people had.

Considering those conditions it ought not come as a surprise that at least
in older times Northern Germany had more than its fair share of rutabaga
connoisseurs (the usual "My mom's are better than your mom's" stuff, that
you get with other common dishes, such as pea soup, also in the
Netherlands).

Particularly well known are rutabagas in hotpots, mulligans, stews or
whatever you might call one-pot meals. They tend to go with potatoes,
carrots and (again usually cheap cuts of) meat, oftentimes also celeriac
(celery root), onions and/or leek. Most of those variants would remind our
Jewish friends of *tsholent* (just that they're a trifle *treyfe* ... ;-)).
You cook them for a long time on low heat.

Hamburg and Lübeck have rutabaga hotpots as their specialties (among others
...), called *Hamburger National* and *Lübecker National* respectively. The
difference used to be that the Hamburg version used only rutabagas and the
Lübeck version only carrots, but with time this distinction has been blurred
and most people in both cities use both rutabagas and carrots. Throw in some
beef or smoked pork, or mutton, preferably some *Kaakwost* (German *
Kochwurst*, smoked and dried sausage), and at the end (oh, so typically
North German!) some chunks of pear or whole pears (yes!).* You separate the
broth and make gravy with it (but you don't have to thicken it, can  just
use it as a sauce), also mixing it with some mustard and/or horseradish. And
many people make all this with flour-based dumplings as well. You may eat
the dumplings with it or serve them separately with applesauce.*

Versions of this used to be a served on Christmas Eve in many homes.
Christmas Eve was known as *Fullbuuksavend* ("full belly eve") in Low Saxon.

If you want to replicate this, use chunks of rutabaga, whole potatoes (which
you can also boil separately and add them later), whole medium-size carrots,
and longish chunks of leek.

Well, actually, this one should be easy to make kosher, since beef (or
mutton) is an option and there is no dairy content. Just cook it similar to
or in place of a tsholent (or cholent or shalet) ... nice and slow ... *un
Avreyml is dayn feter* (to adapt the British expression "... and Bob's your
uncle").**

* As I mentioned in my travel epistle about North German fish specialties (
http://lowlands-l.net/travels/taste-fish.php), there is a traditional
preference for salted and sour foods, probably because of old-time food
preservation methods. Another tradition is the unlikely liking for savory
with sweet, usually fruit, especially pears paired with smoked meats. It
tastes much better than it sounds, as in another typically regional
dish: *Bohn',
Beern' un Speck* ("(green) beans, pears and bacon"). And, as I mentioned,
when it's all done you may separate the dumplings from the aforementioned
hotpot dish and serve them with applesauce. Well, berries with savory dishes
are very commonly eaten in the the Nordic Countries and in Siberia also, and
in the English-speaking world there are cranberries with turkey.

Now I'm getting hungry. I have a feeling my current diet has been talking
here ...

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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