Mangelwurzel
Encyclopedia
Mangelwurzel or mangold wurzel (from German Mangel/Mangold, "chard
", and Wurzel, "root"), also called mangold, mangel beet, field beet and fodder beet, is a cultivated root vegetable
derived from Beta vulgaris. Its large white, yellow or orange-yellow swollen roots were developed in the 18th century as a fodder
crop for feeding livestock
.
and roots providing a nutritious food. Mangelwurzel may require supplementary potassium (aka potash) for optimum yields, flavour and texture and foliage readily displays potassium deficiency as interveinal chlorosis. In 19th-century American usage they were sometimes referred to as 'mango.'
The 1830 book "The Practice of Cookery" includes a recipe for a beer made with mangelwurzel.
of being used for sport (mangold hurling
), for celebration, for animal fodder
and for the brewing of a potent alcoholic beverage.
The mangelwurzel is featured in the 1984 novel
Jitterbug Perfume
written by Tom Robbins
. The main character Alobar originally hails from a Slavic nation where beets are quite prevalent, and eventually the mangel wurzel is used as the base note in the mysterious perfume from which the book derives its name.
The manglewurzel also had a role in the cult TV kids show as Wurzel Gummidge's head, where it could often be heard to say things like "go boil your head."
A mangelwurzel hurling championship was revived in the north Wiltshire
village of Sherston
on October 7, 2006. Teams of three hurled mangelwurzels in turn, aiming to be the closest to a large leafless mangelwurzel known as 'the Norman'.
It is also the source of the name for the English folk
/pop
/comedy
/scrumpy and western musical group The Wurzels
.
Most city-dwellers in England have only the vaguest idea of what a mangelwurzel is, and tend to associate the vegetable with the stereotypical country bumpkin character in comedy. The word is even used as a double-entendre, for example by the character Rambling Syd Rumpo
(Kenneth Williams
). As usual, some entertainers from country towns embrace the stereotype, as above.
Children may encounter it in the book Muddle Earth
(2003) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, in which the mangelwurzel is both a major part of the diet and the principal form of currency (turnips and other vegetables are also acceptable) for trolls.
The mangelwurzel is mentioned as an occasional source of food for the starving inmates of Stalag prison camp in the book Dropped In It by Colin Hall.
In South Somerset
, on the last Thursday of October every year, Punkie Night
is celebrated. Children carry around lanterns called "Punkies", which are hollowed out mangelwurzels. (Mangelwurzels are also carved out for Halloween in Norfolk and Wales)
John Le Marchant recommends cutting the "mangel-wurzel" to learn the proper mechanics for a Draw Cut with the Broadsword
in his historic manual.
George Orwell
mentions "mangel-wurzels" as an example of "Riches more than mind can picture" for the beasts, in the song Beasts of England in his book Animal Farm
(1945).
In the The Bowmans episode of Hancock's Half Hour
, Tony Hancock's character Joshua sings a song about mangelwurzels, "I've got mangelwurzels in me garden, I've got mangelwurzels in me shed, I've got mangelwurzels in me bathroom, and a mangelwurzel for a head".
Chard
Chard , is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. While the leaves are always green, chard stalks vary in color. Chard has been bred to have highly nutrious leaves at the expense of the root...
", and Wurzel, "root"), also called mangold, mangel beet, field beet and fodder beet, is a cultivated root vegetable
Root vegetable
Root vegetables are plant roots used as vegetables. Here "root" means any underground part of a plant.Root vegetables are generally storage organs, enlarged to store energy in the form of carbohydrates. They differ in the concentration and the balance between sugars, starches, and other types of...
derived from Beta vulgaris. Its large white, yellow or orange-yellow swollen roots were developed in the 18th century as a fodder
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
crop for feeding livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
.
Usage
Contemporary use is primarily for cattle, pig and other stock feed, although it can be eaten - especially when young - by humans. Considered a crop for cool-temperate climates, the mangelwurzel sown in autumn can be grown as a winter crop in warm-temperate to sub-tropical climates. Both leaves and roots may be eaten. Leaves can be lightly steamed for salads or lightly boiled as a vegetable if treated like English spinach. Grown in well-dug, well-composted soil and watered regularly, the roots become tender, juicy and flavoursome. The roots are prepared boiled like potato for serving mashed, diced or in sweet curries. Animals are known to thrive excellently upon this plant, both its leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
and roots providing a nutritious food. Mangelwurzel may require supplementary potassium (aka potash) for optimum yields, flavour and texture and foliage readily displays potassium deficiency as interveinal chlorosis. In 19th-century American usage they were sometimes referred to as 'mango.'
The 1830 book "The Practice of Cookery" includes a recipe for a beer made with mangelwurzel.
In popular culture
The mangelwurzel has a history in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
of being used for sport (mangold hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
), for celebration, for animal fodder
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
and for the brewing of a potent alcoholic beverage.
The mangelwurzel is featured in the 1984 novel
Jitterbug Perfume
Jitterbug Perfume
Jitterbug Perfume is Tom Robbins' fourth novel, published in 1984. The major themes of the book include the striving for immortality, the meaning behind the sense of smell, individual expression, self-reliance, sex, love, and religion. Beets and the god Pan figure prominently...
written by Tom Robbins
Tom Robbins
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins (born July 22, 1936 is an American author. His best-selling novels are serio-comic, often wildly poetic stories with a strong social and philosophical undercurrent, an irreverent bent, and scenes extrapolated from...
. The main character Alobar originally hails from a Slavic nation where beets are quite prevalent, and eventually the mangel wurzel is used as the base note in the mysterious perfume from which the book derives its name.
The manglewurzel also had a role in the cult TV kids show as Wurzel Gummidge's head, where it could often be heard to say things like "go boil your head."
A mangelwurzel hurling championship was revived in the north Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
village of Sherston
Sherston, Wiltshire
Sherston is a village approximately 5 miles to the west of Malmesbury in the English county of Wiltshire. The population in 2001 was 1418 .- History :...
on October 7, 2006. Teams of three hurled mangelwurzels in turn, aiming to be the closest to a large leafless mangelwurzel known as 'the Norman'.
It is also the source of the name for the English folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
/scrumpy and western musical group The Wurzels
The Wurzels
The Wurzels are a British Scrumpy and Western band...
.
Most city-dwellers in England have only the vaguest idea of what a mangelwurzel is, and tend to associate the vegetable with the stereotypical country bumpkin character in comedy. The word is even used as a double-entendre, for example by the character Rambling Syd Rumpo
Rambling Syd Rumpo
Rambling Syd Rumpo was a folk singer character played by English comedian Kenneth Williams in the radio comedy series Round the Horne.The Rambling Syd sketches generally began with a short discourse on the nature of the song which would inexorably follow; these discourses in their own right would...
(Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
). As usual, some entertainers from country towns embrace the stereotype, as above.
Children may encounter it in the book Muddle Earth
Muddle Earth
"Muddle Earth" is also the title of a 1993 novel by John Brunner.Muddle Earth is a children's book by Paul Stewart, published in 2003, and illustrated by Chris Riddell. It is largely a parody of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien...
(2003) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, in which the mangelwurzel is both a major part of the diet and the principal form of currency (turnips and other vegetables are also acceptable) for trolls.
The mangelwurzel is mentioned as an occasional source of food for the starving inmates of Stalag prison camp in the book Dropped In It by Colin Hall.
In South Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, on the last Thursday of October every year, Punkie Night
Punkie Night
Punkie Night is an English custom practiced on the last Thursday of October, in Somerset in England. Children will march around with a jack o'lantern, singing a song which goes :It's Punkie Night tonightIt's Punkie Night tonightAdam and Eve would not believe...
is celebrated. Children carry around lanterns called "Punkies", which are hollowed out mangelwurzels. (Mangelwurzels are also carved out for Halloween in Norfolk and Wales)
John Le Marchant recommends cutting the "mangel-wurzel" to learn the proper mechanics for a Draw Cut with the Broadsword
Broadsword
Broadsword may refer to:*Broadsword , a military sword used by heavy cavalry during the 17th to early 19th centuriesIn more modern times, it has also been used to refer to:...
in his historic manual.
George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
mentions "mangel-wurzels" as an example of "Riches more than mind can picture" for the beasts, in the song Beasts of England in his book Animal Farm
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II...
(1945).
In the The Bowmans episode of Hancock's Half Hour
Hancock's Half Hour
Hancock's Half Hour was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy, series of the 1950s and 60s written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sid James; the radio version also co-starred, at various times, Moira Lister, Andrée Melly, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr...
, Tony Hancock's character Joshua sings a song about mangelwurzels, "I've got mangelwurzels in me garden, I've got mangelwurzels in me shed, I've got mangelwurzels in me bathroom, and a mangelwurzel for a head".
See also
- BeetBeetThe beet is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family which is now included in Amaranthaceae family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is the purple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet...
- BeetrootBeetrootThe beetroot, also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet or informally simply as beet, is one of the many cultivated varieties of beets and arguably the most commonly encountered variety in North America, Central America and Britain.-Consumption:The usually deep-red roots of beetroot are...
- ChardChardChard , is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. While the leaves are always green, chard stalks vary in color. Chard has been bred to have highly nutrious leaves at the expense of the root...
- The WurzelsThe WurzelsThe Wurzels are a British Scrumpy and Western band...
, a British band - Worzel GummidgeWorzel GummidgeWorzel Gummidge is a British children's fictional character who originally appeared in a series of books by the novelist Barbara Euphan Todd. A walking, talking scarecrow, Gummidge has a set of interchangeable turnip, mangel worzel and swede heads, each of which suit a particular occasion or endow...
, a British book
External links
- 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica article
- The Guardian online report on Post Office closures, during which protesters used Mangelwurzel lanterns as a symbol of village tradition