Eating on a German U-Boat in WW1

Making everyone eat sauerkraut on a sealed vessel "that was 100°F and very poorly ventilated" sounds like a war crime. 🤣🤣

How do we fight scurvy? Spain: "Lemons and oranges!" England: "Limes!" Germany: "SAUERKRAUT!"

The thought of a grizzled U-Boat cook tearfully threatening to find another boat that'd appreciate him is so funny. High school really does never end.

Pro Tipp: Most German dishes that feature any kind of cabbage as ingredient (like sauerkraut) will add whole caraway seeds to aid with digestion. It’s supposed to help with the gases from the cabbage. Greetings from Wuppertal, Germany 🇩🇪

"How much sauerkraut should be added?" is not a question that would ever cross a German's mind. 😂

I was disappointed for a moment when the primary source mentioned hard tack and you didn't play the clip. But then you said it and played the clip and all is right with my Tuesday now

My father, who passed away from complications of Agent Orange syndrome about 9 years ago now, was a Vietnam veteran who served in the US Navy on what happened to be World War II era diesel submarines. He had so many stories about what life on those boats was like, and they sound a whole lot like the conditions on the German u-boats you described. The ventilation was better and it was a little less hot and humid, but it was always still fairly hot and stifling with all those bodies on board, and all of that equipment. And the smell - he said that whenever hear any of the other sailors will get a chance to go outside, they declared that the clean air smelled funny. And everyone could always tell a submarine sailor from a sailor on the surface, because of the continual lingering scent of diesel fuse that would follow them everywhere. I could go on for hours with the tales that he told me, some of them terrifying, some of them funny, a lot of them not appropriate for mixed company, And they really are an interesting look into military life at the period, as well as a peak into what it would have been like back in World War II as well - A little after the time period that you're covering now, obviously, but still close enough that I'm sure some of what my dad experienced would have been very familiar to the German sailors you discussed today.

Little german inside for you, Max: You should eat some of the soup with a fork. I mean some the Sauerkraut, of course. The bread is (until this day) used like a sponge for the liquids (or "Tunke" as it's called in parts of Germany). This is comon for watery soups, not for thicker soups like Erbsensuppe (Pea soup). Those are eaten completely with a spoon, of course. If you ever order a thin soup with something like vegetables in it in germany, don't be surprised if you get a spoon and a fork from your waiter. (Cultural difference may apply in different parts of the country)

I feel like "Saurkraut soup" is what your parents tell you they had to eat after walking to school, uphill both ways, with no shoes, and over broken glass. .......in the snow.

I read this as “eat a German U boat” and was very confused lol.

I'm from the northern islands of Scotland, and I spoke to an old man in the 1990s, who'd been a merchant seaman. He described being in a Hamburg cafe around 1921, and the owner had been a submariner. The German chap described the boat coming to periscpe depth on the quiet N.W. of the island. Some crewmen went ashore in the inflatable, and stole a sheep that was tethered, so easy to get, silently. It proved to be not at all tasty, because it was a ram in full breeding season! This is maybe the origin of the Orkney/goats story in your video.

I think this might be one of your best episodes yet. I loved the variety and intimacy of the stories you relayed to us. I find it fascinating to hear just how relatable people were in the past. Like the overly sensitive cook somehow winning an iron cross, or making a song about not having anything to fry in the butter.

Hearing how the u-boat crew would make fun of poor Miedtank reminds me of a piece of advice from my grandfather, that being: NEVER piss off the cook. Best case scenario is your food ends up perpetually bland, and worst case, well... there are a lot of things you could add to a dish that you may never know about...

When someone asks max if he has any hobbies, he says "I like to mention hard tack🍞💥🍞 as often as possible. "

Very similar to Polish Sauerkraut Soup (Kapusniak) - Ingredients 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 bay leaf 2 cups Frank's Kraut rinsed and drained 1 teaspoon caraway seed optional 1 pound Polska Kielbasa sliced 4 stalks celery chopped 3 carrots sliced 2 cups white potatoes diced 2 32 ounce containers chicken stock 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1-2 teaspoons salt to taste 1 small onion diced Instructions In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add oil and onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes, then add in kielbasa, kraut and caraway seeds. Cook for about 5 minutes more. Add in carrots, celery and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add in chicken stock, cover. When it comes to a boil, turn heat down to medium low. Cook covered for about 30 minutes, or until veggies are desired tenderness. Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve hot with a slice of rye bread.

Oh, man. This video made me think of my old German teacher from high school. He was a cook on board a ...um... German U-boat in WW2, and he was the most interesting man I think I've ever met. I once got extra credit for making my report a recipe in German. He passed away in 2010, I think. I hope he's resting peacefully, he was one of the most peace loving men I've ever known.

Adding salt and vinegar turns the Sauerkraut into Sauersauerkraut

Waiting for a mention of "Hard Tack" and the cut to Max clacking the two pieces together is always a highlight.

U-boat Kapitän: sits down to eat his watered down sauerkraut soup U-boat sailor: Mein Kapitän, we have spotted a ship. it's the Lusitania! U-boat Kapitän: What are they doing? U-boat sailor: Eating lunch, appears to be veal, spaguetti and... victoria pudding for dessert U-boat Kapitän: PREPARE ZE TORPEDO TUBES!

Love the story about the Iron Cross for the chef. That's great. And I always laugh any time you use the hard-tack clip.