Post by Souriquois on Dec 31, 2018 0:14:42 GMT -4
I thought of this thread because I learned something I did not know today, about government cheese in the United States.
Basically, the US government used to stockpile cheese for emergencies. It was a cheaply produced mixture of cheddar and colby cheese with curds and emulsifiers mixed in. Cheese is high in calcium, healthy fats, and proteins, plus has a long shelf life, and it was given to people on food stamp benefits, as well as to people during the Great Depression, and after natural disasters when food is not easily available. Many Americans like government cheese, people who received it remember it fondly, and it is popular. Now it is sold commercially, and outside of the US, it is referred to as "American cheese". I actually like American cheese, so I was surprised to learn of its origins (I figured it was some kind of long tradition or something). I heard the term "government cheese" before, but I thought it was slang for welfare benefits or something. This seems to be a widely held misconception in Canada, where we refer to equalization payments (cheques from the government that low income people in poorer regions of the country, not on welfare but working poor, get every three months), as "government cheese".
Apparently Trump is bringing back government cheese. Probably because he likes to eat it (he likes fast food, and he is of the age when it was more common so he probably remembers it from childhood), but it might be a good thing because it could be a protein rich supplement to the diets of people who are poor and can't afford much besides cheap low-nutrition foods.
So I figured I'd ask about other foods in other countries, since we have all experienced disasters and economic collapse.
The Canadian equivalent to government cheese is not near as healthy. It is a dense flatbread called bannock or beaver tails, purposely made to be high in calories, so that, well, you don't die. It is cheap and easy to prepare. It can be fried, deep fried, baked, grilled, or cooked on an open fire. This was handed to people during the Great Depression, when so many people were in poverty that the government could not handle the demand for services. It was cheap and handed out by government officials. Now it is kind of a popular summer camp/cottage food.
In addition, shellfish, particularly lobster, was the main source of protein for the poor.
What about in other countries?
Basically, the US government used to stockpile cheese for emergencies. It was a cheaply produced mixture of cheddar and colby cheese with curds and emulsifiers mixed in. Cheese is high in calcium, healthy fats, and proteins, plus has a long shelf life, and it was given to people on food stamp benefits, as well as to people during the Great Depression, and after natural disasters when food is not easily available. Many Americans like government cheese, people who received it remember it fondly, and it is popular. Now it is sold commercially, and outside of the US, it is referred to as "American cheese". I actually like American cheese, so I was surprised to learn of its origins (I figured it was some kind of long tradition or something). I heard the term "government cheese" before, but I thought it was slang for welfare benefits or something. This seems to be a widely held misconception in Canada, where we refer to equalization payments (cheques from the government that low income people in poorer regions of the country, not on welfare but working poor, get every three months), as "government cheese".
Apparently Trump is bringing back government cheese. Probably because he likes to eat it (he likes fast food, and he is of the age when it was more common so he probably remembers it from childhood), but it might be a good thing because it could be a protein rich supplement to the diets of people who are poor and can't afford much besides cheap low-nutrition foods.
So I figured I'd ask about other foods in other countries, since we have all experienced disasters and economic collapse.
The Canadian equivalent to government cheese is not near as healthy. It is a dense flatbread called bannock or beaver tails, purposely made to be high in calories, so that, well, you don't die. It is cheap and easy to prepare. It can be fried, deep fried, baked, grilled, or cooked on an open fire. This was handed to people during the Great Depression, when so many people were in poverty that the government could not handle the demand for services. It was cheap and handed out by government officials. Now it is kind of a popular summer camp/cottage food.
In addition, shellfish, particularly lobster, was the main source of protein for the poor.
What about in other countries?