Some Wisconsinites may know cannibal sandwiches because they're a family tradition — or because of thewarnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cannibal sandwiches are a Midwest staple. Consisting of fresh raw beef on rye bread topped with chopped onion, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, the dishmakes some squirm and others lick their chops.
Last December, the popular dish even gained international attention with a tweet from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services that warnedagainst eating raw meat.
Butwhere did the tradition come from? Why is it so popular in Wisconsin?
As part of ourWhat the Wisconsin?series that explores readers' questions large and small about our state, we looked into the past and present of the cannibal sandwich.
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Roots in the German tradition
Germanyhas asimilar dish of minced raw pork or beef served on bread and seasoned with salt and pepper. There, it'scalled mett orhackepeter.
And it’s no secret that Wisconsin has a large German presence. At one point, Milwaukee was even considered the “German Athens of America.”
Germans immigrated here in the 1800s for agriculture and, later, dairy cattle farming. And with easy access to fresh meat, they could make what’s known today as cannibal sandwiches, said Anna Altschwager, Old World Wisconsin’s assistant director for guest experiences. Old World Wisconsin, the living history museum in Eagle, is operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
If Germans went to New York, they would not have had the access to the fresh ground beef required for the sandwich — and the tradition may have fallen away there, Altschwager said.
The density of the German populationin the Midwest also meant communities were formed and maintained, hosting sociable events like church suppers or big family dinners, Altschwager added. This gave room for the unique dish to endure.
“They became a representation of the larger culture that had been left behind and a way to preserve it,” Altschwager said. “You may not speak the language, you may not wear the clothes, you may not have the politics, but that food, that memory, that tradition is a tie to where you came from.”
Milwaukee historian John Gurda agreed with Altschwager that cannibal sandwiches originated from German immigrants.
“It's pretty natural that it would come along with beer and bratwurst,” he said.
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Celebrating a piece of history
Today, the sandwich is seen as a staple at family gatherings, holidays, weddings and more.
In 1977, Gurdaserved cannibal sandwiches at his traditional south side Milwaukee wedding.
“It really wasn't a choice. It was an expectation,” he said. “You just wouldn’t have considered having a wedding reception without cannibal sandwiches.”
Altschwager said when people decide to make cannibal sandwiches, they’re recreating somebody’s history. That’s why so many Wisconsinites hold onto it.
“We want to maintain the tradition,” she said, “and we want to give our kids the holidays that we remember.”
And, yes, cannibal sandwiches are known for being a little "out there." But most dishes that are an expression of culture arefunky orelaborate — outliers, Altschwager said.
“It's not something that you have every Wednesday night for dinner,” she said.
Often a story or memory comes with it, such as remembering the first time you tried one or that joke grandpa used to make, Altschwager said.
“That’s the magic for me with these foods. It's less about the food and more about the space we create when we serve those foods,” she said.
While Gurda said he thinks the popularity of the sandwich has waned as consumers become more food-conscious, Scott Podd said it’s growing in popularity.
Podd is part owner of Ray’s Butcher Shoppe,at 4640 W. Loomis Road inGreenfield. The shop has been in the Milwaukee area since 1977.
Even though they’ve always been busy, Podd said they do more orders now than they ever have, even during a normal weekday. He said the shop gets at least one customer aday who wants ground round for cannibal sandwiches.
Podd saidthe holidays — specifically, during late December — is the shop'sbusiest time of year for ground round.
“We sell thousands of pounds around the holidays,” he said.
ButPodd said he doesn’t know why it’s so popular.
“Maybe because it goes good with a co*cktail or beer,” he said.
Ormaybe it’s just a part of tradition.
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