LL-L "History" 2012.08.09 (04) [EN]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L - 09 August 2012 - Volume 04
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: History

Dear Lowlanders,

This morning I watched an interesting episode of the series "Weltbilder"
("Global Images") at the Hamburg website of Nordeutscher Rundfunk (North
German Broadcasting, http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/livestream223.html).

This particular documentary was about ethnic Germans who live in a
post-Stalinist German-designated region of Siberia. Mennonites and
non-Mennonites and their language varieties were distinguished. Locals
would talk about their family histories. Those that had decided not to
immigrate to Germany after the demise of the Soviet Union or had returned
to Siberia from Germany gave their reasons. The main reason was that rural
life back in Siberia was simpler, despite being materially poorer. A
Mennonite father of ten explained (in Plautdietsch) that he had visited
Germany and decided that he could only raise his family in their ancestral
faith away from today's Germany and its temptations.

Within the documentary was a fascinating story with a botanical twist.
Almost all Germans in the area grow *Physalis* which they themselves call *
Junibeere* ("June berry") in German, while in the local Russian variety it
is called *немецкий ягоды* (*nemeckij jagody* "German berry") because it is
associated with local German farmers.

In other German dialects:
*Kapstachelbeere* <http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapstachelbeere> ("Cape
gooseberry"), *Andenbeere* ("Andean berry"), *Andenkirsche* ("Andean
cherry"), *Judenkirsche* ("Jewish cherry"), *Peruanische
Blasenkirsche*("Peruvian bladder/bubble cherry")

In other Russian dialects:
*к**апский крыжовник*<http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%81_%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9>(
*kapskij kryžovnik* "Cape gooseberry")

Now, considering the full botanical name *Physalis peruviana* as well as
the fact that this plant is closely related to the tomatillo (*Physalis
philadelphica*), we can safely assume that the plant in question is of
Latin American origin. Which makes me wonder how it acquired its connection
with the Cape (supposedly Southern Africa's Cape of Good Hope).
Furthermore, at least in the mentioned region of Siberia the plant is
associated with Germans and it seems to be assumed that it had been
introduced by them around one hundred years ago.

What about this Lowlands angle?

I assume that the plant reached Europe, or at least certain parts of
Europe, from Latin America via Southern Africa and then (like the potato:
German *Kartoffel* > Russian картофель *kartofel'*) came to be introduced
to Eastern Europe, Siberia and Central Asia.

I am not aware of *Physalis peruviana *being particularly popular in
German, at least not for long. Might the Lowlands link be rooted in
Mennonite and Dutch contacts among "Germans" in the *east*?

*Physalis peruviana*

   - Quechua (Ruma Simi): *awaymantu<http://qu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awaymantu>
   *,, <http://qu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awaymantu#cite_note-0> *yawarchunka*
   - English: *Cape
gooseberry*<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_gooseberry>(South
Africa, U.S.),
   *Inca berry*, *Aztec berry*, *golden berry* (~ goldenberry), *giant
   ground cherry*, *Peruvian groundcherry*, *Peruvian cherry* (U.S.), *pok
   pok* (Madagascar), *poha* (Hawaii), *ras bhari* (India), *aguaymanto*(Peru),
   *uvilla* (Ecuador), *uchuva* (Colombia)
   - Dutch: *Kaapse kruisbes* <http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goudbes> ("Cape
   gooseberry"), *goudbes* ("golden berry"), *ananaskers*
   - Afrikaans: ?
   - Swedish: *kapkrusbär*<http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_%28fruktarten%29>("Cape
gooseberry"),
   *guldbär* ("golden berry"), *lyktbär*  ("lantern berry")*,
**incabär*("Inca berry")
   - Norwegian (*bokmål*):
*barbadoslykt<http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananaskirseb%C3%A6r>
   *("Barbados lantern")
   - Danish: ?


I myself have tasted home-grown Cape gooseberries here in the northwestern
US (under the name "Cape gooseberry") and found them to be very tasty. It
would be nice to know more about their migration to the "Old World" and
beyond, including their migration (back?) to the "New World."

Thanks for any help you might have.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

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