Saturday, October 3, 2009

Dietrich's Meats Sept 2007

This is Dietrich's Meats of Krumsville (crookedville in English), deep in Pennsylvania Dutch country ( or Deutsch in German or Daitsch in the Swabian language). The Pennsylvania Dutch originated in the south of Germany. They were Protestants who found themselves on the loosing side of the 30 years war. It was either leave or become Catholics. They would rather have died than to become Catholics. They sold everything they had and headed for ships in Hamburg to take them to the Promised Land (Pennsylvania- yukh). Unfortunately, Germany was not one country but several hundred countries. Every time they crossed a border they had to pay a tax. By the time they arrived in Hamburg, many had no money left at all. Many were taken on board ships on the condition that they sell themselves and their children as indentured servants for 7 years. Arriving in Philadelphia, many found their children sold to other owners and never saw them again. Still, most were highly skilled farmers, blacksmiths, etc. and they slowly rebuilt their lives. Eating weird animal parts, scrapple, pudding, etc., are a legacy of these beginnings in poverty.

Dietrich's sells Moxie soda. This is the only purveyor of Moxie for hundreds of miles from NYC.

Dietrich's Meats Sept 2007

No comments: