Page 44 - summer2016

Reversing the Trend:

A Mother-Daughter Comparison

Judith Mudrak

y upbringing in Switzerland came during the

transition from traditional to modern foods. We
Mlived about fifteen minutes outside the city of

Bern. Mom gave us one tablespoon of yellow-colored cod
liver oil from a quart-sized brown bottle every morning

during the cold months. Until I was about thirteen years
old, the milk man delivered raw milk daily, but everyone

was told to boil their milk.

Unfortunately, my mother used margarine for spread on bread—as per
instructions from her doctor, for fear we would gain weight, although we
were all very slim! But she also used golden pasteurized butter for cook-
ing and fatty slab bacon (called Speck) for daily frying. Pork ears, tails,
snouts and feet were weekly regulars with a treat of mustard on top—to
cover reality—never chops or steaks. Once in a while mom had rabbit from
my grandfather or ground horse meat, cooked in Schmalz. Thursday was
liver sausage day and Friday blood sausage day. However Mom used MSG
(Aromat and Maggi) daily.
44 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2016 Wise Traditions