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Saving the bacon during the First World War Saving the bacon during the first world war
(about 7 hours later)
It is a cliché to associate Germans with sausages, but theIt is a cliché to associate Germans with sausages, but the
wurst is a good way to understand the smaller, unexpected ways conflict influenced everyday life inwurst is a good way to understand the smaller, unexpected ways conflict influenced everyday life in
Germany. The food shortages caused by war have led to radical solutions, including the use ofGermany. The food shortages caused by war have led to radical solutions, including the use of
photographic chemicals to coat sausages, and has shaped the German sausage photographic chemicals to coat sausages, and have shaped the German sausage
for better or (pun intended) worse. Oddly, the one story about the war-time Germanfor better or (pun intended) worse. Oddly, the one story about the war-time German
sausage that has become popular – that World War I led to the invention of the sausage that has become popular – that the first world war led to the invention of the
vegetarian sausage – may not be quite accurate.vegetarian sausage – may not be quite accurate.
Schweinmorde Schweinemord
A mass pig slaughter, or Schweinmorde, had been A mass pig slaughter, or Schweinemord, had been
recommended right at the beginning of World War I by the German physiologist Nathan Zuntz. The 66-year recommended right at the beginning of the first world war by the German physiologist Nathan Zuntz. The 66-year
old doctor and scientist had already spent 25 yearsold doctor and scientist had already spent 25 years
monitoring his own metabolism, including his temperature and weight, andmonitoring his own metabolism, including his temperature and weight, and
noticed immediately that he lost several kilograms in body mass due to thenoticed immediately that he lost several kilograms in body mass due to the
restrictions of wartime food. Bad weather and problems with the supply ofrestrictions of wartime food. Bad weather and problems with the supply of
fertilizer (which Daniel fertiliser (which Daniel
A. Gross wrote about in this blog a few weeks ago) led to a shortage of A Gross wrote about in this blog a few weeks ago) led to a shortage of
grain and potatoes, two staple foods.grain and potatoes, two staple foods.
Zuntz’s suggestion was to slaughter the pigs which, he pointed out, ‘competed’ with Zuntz’s suggestion was to slaughter the pigs which, he pointed out, "competed" with
humans for food; it was more efficient for people to consume the thehumans for food; it was more efficient for people to consume the the
vegetable and cereal crops directly than pass the calories through the animalvegetable and cereal crops directly than pass the calories through the animal
food chain. (This argument about efficiency is stillfood chain. (This argument about efficiency is still
used to promote vegetarianism in response to global population growth).used to promote vegetarianism in response to global population growth).
In late summer 1914 the German Imperial government set up an In late summer 1914 the German imperial government set up an
inquiry into the consequences of wartime blockades and import bans. Theinquiry into the consequences of wartime blockades and import bans. The
Eltzbacher Commission (named after its leader, the law professor Paul Eltzbacher) published its report in December 1914 with the dramatic title Die deutsche Volksernährung und der englische Aushungerungsplan, which roughly translates as ‘the German Eltzbacher Commission (named after its leader, the law professor Paul Eltzbacher) published its report in December 1914 with the dramatic title "Die deutsche Volksernährung und der englische Aushungerungsplan", which roughly translates as "the German
people and the English plan to starve them’. Zuntz was one of the advisory people and the English plan to starve them". Zuntz was one of the advisory
board, and the report recommended the slaughter of nine to ten million Germanboard, and the report recommended the slaughter of nine to ten million German
pigs to free up grain and potatoes for human consumption; around nine millionpigs to free up grain and potatoes for human consumption; around nine million
animals were slaughtered in the spring of 1915.animals were slaughtered in the spring of 1915.
TheThe
slaughter did not solve the German food problems (not least because demand forslaughter did not solve the German food problems (not least because demand for
pork remained stable while supply fell, so farmers could make significantpork remained stable while supply fell, so farmers could make significant
profits from the remaining increasingly well-fed pigs). Because of this failure, duringprofits from the remaining increasingly well-fed pigs). Because of this failure, during
Hitler’s rise to power, anti-semitic Hitler’s rise to power, antisemitic
political commentators suggested that the whole ‘Schweinmorde’ plan had political commentators suggested that the whole Schweinemord plan had
actually been a Jewishactually been a Jewish
plot to cripple German agriculture and starve the population.plot to cripple German agriculture and starve the population.
Peas and Photography Peas and photography
Perhaps the weirdest military intervention into the GermanPerhaps the weirdest military intervention into the German
sausage came with the unlikely combination of photographic chemistry andsausage came with the unlikely combination of photographic chemistry and
nutritional science in the 1870s. In 1877 an admiring writer innutritional science in the 1870s. In 1877 an admiring writer in
Nature commented on the ‘highly Nature commented on the "highly
scientific German soldier’ and his ‘Erbswurst’, scientific German soldier" and his "Erbswurst",
or ‘pea sausage’. This is or "pea sausage". This is
not a sausage in the strict sense, but rather a combination of animal fat andnot a sausage in the strict sense, but rather a combination of animal fat and
pea flour, which is usually sliced up and used as a stock base to make a soup (notpea flour, which is usually sliced up and used as a stock base to make a soup (not
unlike hooshesunlike hooshes
made from the travel food pemmican).made from the travel food pemmican).
Erbswurst might not have been a culinary delight... Erbswurst might not have been a culinary delight …
To the English palate theTo the English palate the
pea-sausage had an unmistakable taste of tallow, and there is no doubt that allpea-sausage had an unmistakable taste of tallow, and there is no doubt that all
kinds of fat and grease were employed in its production when the supplies ofkinds of fat and grease were employed in its production when the supplies of
bacon run shortbacon run short
…but it was a scientific innovation, because of … but it was a scientific innovation, because of
its casing. Faced with a shortage of animal skins and bladders to hold the its casing. Faced with a shortage of animal skins and bladders to hold the "sausage", a chemist innovated a new casing made of gelatine and bichromate of
‘sausage’, a chemist innovated a new casing made of gelatine and bichromate of
potash (potassiumpotash (potassium
dichromate) – the same chemical process used by photographers to make carbon-prints. The sausagedichromate) – the same chemical process used by photographers to make carbon-prints. The sausage
mix was rolled into shape, dipped in the treated gelatine, and then left to drymix was rolled into shape, dipped in the treated gelatine, and then left to dry
in the sun. The resulting sausage was robust enough to survive being ‘boiled in the sun. The resulting sausage was robust enough to survive being "boiled
with impunity’. with impunity".
A Pigless sausage? A pigless sausage?
While the Berlin-based Eltzbacher Committee were While the Berlin-based Eltzbacher Committee was
recommending a mass pig slaughter, in Cologne the Mayor Konrad Adenauer was recommending a mass pig slaughter, in Cologne the mayor Konrad Adenauer was
trying to solve the wartime food shortage by experimenting with low-meattrying to solve the wartime food shortage by experimenting with low-meat
content sausages. Instead of the pea flour that the military had used socontent sausages. Instead of the pea flour that the military had used so
successfully for over fifty years, Adenauer tried high-protein soy flour. His plan was to encouragesuccessfully for over fifty years, Adenauer tried high-protein soy flour. His plan was to encourage
people to eat more vegetable protein by disguising it as meat.people to eat more vegetable protein by disguising it as meat.
Some recent stories about the inventions of the First Some recent stories about the inventions of the first world war have claimed that Adenauer developed the first "vegetarian"
World War have claimed that Adenauer developed the first ‘vegetarian’
sausage, and that he was denied a patent in Germany, but allowed one insausage, and that he was denied a patent in Germany, but allowed one in
England, because in Germany ‘wurst’ legally has to contain meat. In fact he England, because in Germany "wurst" legally has to contain meat. In fact he
probably didn’t get his German patent because of an issue with his paperworkprobably didn’t get his German patent because of an issue with his paperwork
rather than the definition of ‘wurst’, and the British patent he did rather than the definition of "wurst", and the British patent he did
get is for a method of co-preserving soy and meat by mixing soy flour withget is for a method of co-preserving soy and meat by mixing soy flour with
very finely minced meat. Adenauer claimed his mixture gave the soy flour avery finely minced meat. Adenauer claimed his mixture gave the soy flour a
better flavour (because of the ‘penetration’ of ‘meat salts’) and meant that better flavour (because of the "penetration" of "meat salts") and meant that
sausages could have a much higher proportion of bulkers like flour, potato and sausages could have a much higher proportion of bulkers such as flour, potato and
cornmeal and still maintain a reasonable shelf life.cornmeal and still maintain a reasonable shelf life.
Adenauer’s invention was certainly a pioneering way to getAdenauer’s invention was certainly a pioneering way to get
people to eat less meat, by bulking out a sausage with lots of non-meat ingredients, but it wasn’t a vegetarian dish.people to eat less meat, by bulking out a sausage with lots of non-meat ingredients, but it wasn’t a vegetarian dish.
The real inventor of the genuinely vegetarian sausage remains, as yet,The real inventor of the genuinely vegetarian sausage remains, as yet,
uncelebrated; the first person to put soy protein in a meat sausage probablyuncelebrated; the first person to put soy protein in a meat sausage probably
lived in China many centuries before Adenauer was born.lived in China many centuries before Adenauer was born.
With thanks to MartinaWith thanks to Martina
Dervis for help with German materials.Dervis for help with German materials.
So who did invent theSo who did invent the
vegetarian sausage? Tweet any suggestions to @HPS_Vanessa (but no more meat sausagevegetarian sausage? Tweet any suggestions to @HPS_Vanessa (but no more meat sausage
facts please, I’m a vegetarian…) facts please, I’m a vegetarian … )