Sauerkraut

From Merriam-Webster online

Main Entry: sau·er·kraut
Pronunciation: 'sau(-&)r-"kraut
Function: noun
Etymology: German, from sauer sour + Kraut greens
Date: 1617
: cabbage cut fine and fermented in a brine made of its own juice with salt

Main Entry: kraut
Pronunciation: 'kraut
Function: noun
Etymology: German, cabbage, from Old High German krut
Date: 1855
1 : SAUERKRAUT
2 often capitalized, usually disparaging : GERMAN


If only it were that simple. Much like Gollum in Lord of the Rings who both loved and hated his "precious" ring, I both hate and love sauerkraut. Like many first-generation Canadians born of European parents, I had "ethnic" (in my case, German) food stuffed down my throat from as early as I could remember. I would come home from school and see that giant pot steaming away knowing --KNOWING!! -- that I'd be eating that stuff for at least two weeks...

And now after writing this I find I'm incredibly hungry.