While we are still manfully struggling to digest the last
turkey-curry-fricasee-stir fry-sandwich left over from Thanksgiving, and
looking ahead in horror at the next foodfest which is the forthcoming
winter holiday, thank your lucky giblets that you are not in
England.
Yes, the unfortunate residents of that small island over the pond are
annually subjected to the cruel and unusual punishment that is Brussels
sprouts.
And if that wasn't bad enough, it gets worse. There's a bid to rename
them British sprouts.
Sainsbury's grocery store chain has wrapped the Union Jack around that
lowly winter vegetable so frequently and ineffectively hidden under
plate rims by children. This comes at the urging of the British Sprout
Growers Association (BSGA), a year-old concern mounting the "Sprouts
bite back" PR campaign. Last year, the effort got a media relations
boost by rushing to the maligned veggie's public defense after a travel
agency chain ran ads featuring them as a reason to leave the country
during the holidays.
BSGA founder Alex Bingham cites a general British distaste for the
European Union as an argument for dropping the Brussels adjective, and
most sprouts are in fact grown on those islands known for frightening
cuisine.
For Sainsbury's the move is purely patriotic, part of a broader attempt
to support the British agricultural industry by touting domestically
grown produce. And the name change was only temporary. It's on trial for
four weeks, and if research doesn't show a boost in sales, the
minicabbages will again be blamed on the Belgians.
Fortunately, we doubt the new name or the British love/ hate for sprouts
will spread to this country in time to shove candied yams off our
Christmas plates.
