As German as...

I'm baaaack, and, by request of some of you beautiful readers, more sarcastic than ever. Except for that last statement, where I was truthful, no sarcasm intended. You are beautiful :)

Today I want to talk about some common misconceptions that some people might have of Germany. You see, before I had ever had the chance to visit Deutschland I never really had the desire to travel here. Sorry German readers, I mean no offense, but it wasn't high on my list of 'must sees'. I am definitely more of a beachy kind of girl (I know it's hard, but read: beachy, not bitchy, k, thanks).

And before you start telling me that Germany has beaches too, I'll stop you. I know it does. But they are only warm enough for my Texas blood a handful of days out of the year. And the water is more than just a tiddy bit nipply. Brrrrr!

See, I have even been to one. Nice day...even with the ice cold water.

But you know what? That is ok. Germany isn't 'known' for its beaches. It is known for beer, sausage, pretzels, lederhosen, Mercedes Benz, David Hasselhoff...oh wait, he's ours.

With all of these iconic symbols, a lot of misconceptions get thrown into the mix as well. There are several things that us North Americans might call "German" or think come from German culture, but in fact have no real hard connection to Germany at all. 

And for a Texas girl, who never had German cuisine, had never been to Germany, knew no German, I had quite a few of these delusions in my head...that is, until I became such a badass German expert! Haha, wow, obviously just kidding. 

So, I'll try to straighten out some of these fallacies that I think are worth clarifying. And German readers, I would especially love to hear your feedback on this topic. Correct me if I am wrong on anything. I will only block you from blog for a little bit :)

First Offender:

Wiener Schnitzel

Sources (1, 2)

Well, I think the chain of gut rotting tasty hot dog huts causes this word to be confusing from the get-go. But Wiener schnitzel is not a hot dog or any kind of sausage. Rather, it is a thin cut of veal, breaded, and fried up to a deliciously crispy and juicy consistency. 

And it's origins aren't German. It is a traditional Austrian dish, although it is just as loved and served in Germany. Kind of like how us Texans think TexMex is our state food. 

Mmmmm fried goodness. Looks a lot like Chicken Fried Steak, doesn't it. (source)

The word Wiener (quit laughing) comes from the name of a person from Vienna, Austria. Wien being the German name for Vienna. Hmmm, that even makes it sound like those little Vienna Sausages in a can are that much more authentic! Yum, meat in a can.

Second Offender:

German Chocolate Cake

Oh, but I still love you and your gooey coconut frosting just the same! (source)

Nope, not German. Doesn't have anything to do with Germany. The dark baking chocolate used in the cake was developed by an Englishman by the name of Sam German for Baker's Chocolate. The first record of the recipe for German Chocolate Cake was printed in local Dallas, Texas newspaper in 1957. Baker's Chocolate took notice of the recipe's popularity and started distributing copies of the recipe with the dark baking squares. And from there it became a national staple...in America, not Germany. 

Black Forest Cake. Ya'll hungry yet?! (source)

Germans don't do too many cakes like we do back at home. But they do make one heck of a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, or Black Forest Cake. Yum!

Third Offender:

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut literally meaning "sour cabbage" (source)

Oh Sauerkraut. I never knew you could be soooo delicious until I came to Germany. For those of you who have never tried traditional German sauerkraut and have only eaten the nasty, out-of-the-can grossness at ball parks, I pity you. It is so, so good here.

But Sauerkraut, which is almost as synonymous with German culture as beer and wurst, did not originate in Germany. The Chinese were the first to cash in on this shredded cabbage staple.

Looks pretty darn good too! (source)

It is believed that Chinese laborers building the Great Wall of China over 2,000 years ago noshed on this goodness. It is thought to have been brought to Europe around 1000 years later by none other than Gengis Kahn. And that is when the western world took over and made it their own.

Fourth Offender:

The Swastika

Chart of swastika symbols throughout the world (source)

Now inescapable of it's Nazi past, the Swastika has actually been around for thousands of years. Earliest evidence of the symbol dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization and Classical Antiquity. It remains popular in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It was popular even in Western culture until the 1930s when it became associated with Nazi Germany. 

This picture is no joke. The Edmonton Swastikas Hockey Team, 1916 (source)

Fifth Offender:

Polka Music

And the only cure is more cowbell! (source)

Ok, I admit, maybe this one was just my naive little self. But I had always thought of Polka as traditional German music. It was the sound of the tubas, accordions, and the 'oom-pa-pa' that always brought visions of Oktoberfest to mind. 

But Polka music, although popular in Germany, originated around the 19th century in the Czech Republic. The name comes from the Czech word for "Polish Girl", which is confusing enough already. So I will just stop there :)

Anyways, I hope that cleared up a few wrong ideas you might have had about "German" products. And if you knew them all already, eff off good for you, smarty pants!

See ya'll tomorrow for another edition of Frackin' Friday. Ohhh, can't wait to cuss some more in German!