What did the Wehrmacht drink?

[nondescript handle]

OK, some random now and then facts:
Before the war there were two rivaling companies sharing the Muckefuck-market: Kathreiner (blue) and Franck (red), just like Pepsi and Coca-Cola. Both had of course several brands.
During the War (1940) Kathreiner established the brand 'Linde's' as a low quality war-brand (so that the other brands woulden't associated with 'ersatz').

In 1943 Kathreiner and Franck merged, creating Unifranck GmbH. Nestle brought Unifranck 1971.
Today there are three brands (all owned by Nestle) of Muckefuck sold in Germany:
-'Caro', an instant variant, the main seller, established 1954 (several flavours 'Caro à la Crème', 'Caro Choco', 'Caro Vanilla' etc)
-'Linde's Kornkaffee', the 'war brand'
-'Kathreiner Kneipp Malzkaffee', a pre-war brand

Regards
Mark

[Vikki]

I had a chance to sample some of the Linde's "Kornkaffee" a couple of weeks ago. It smells a lot like mixed-grain horse feed, and tastes about the same. If you drink it with no illusions that you're actually drinking "coffee," it would be okay as an alternate hot beverage. But for a confirmed coffee drinker, it's a little much to get your morning cereal in your coffee!

~FV

[Sewer King]

Didn't the German Army also issue tea, even if it might've been less popular than coffee or ersatz coffee? Same as in the US Civil War, tea was available but far less wanted. Tea can also be ersatz of course (such as blackberry leaves), but remember it was to be had in occupied Russia.

I have heard of Klim, a German canned milk (dry powder? condensed?) This seems to be "milk" spelled backwards, or milch close enough likewise. Some photos show German troops using it, and others show it used by Allied PoWs in Luft Stalag.

My guess is that Klim was a commercial product that saw wide use in wartime. Like the American Spam meat product, or British Maconochie soup in WW1. Maybe Klim is still on the market, even if under some other name?

When ersatz foods or wartime staples become built into the culture, it can go with or against expectations. Spam is the butt of American jokes today, but it is very popular in South Korea and the Philippines due to US wartime use there -- and the food relief afterwards.

If ersatz coffees are still found in modern Germany today, I would have expected them to be used by older generations. But this seems not to be so, and I don't know what became of coffee tastes in the former East Germany after 45 years.

[Der Alte]

Karo was as stated before kinderkaffe, it was still around when I was a kid in the 70´it still is. My grandma and all the ones who where adult under the war or the postwar period wont touch that stuff with a bargepole and they have only contemptious comments on the taste os it. It isnt bad, I still drink it sometimes, but it has only a very slight resemblence to coffee.

In Denmark it was easier to lay your hands on some real coffee, but they stretched it with a cichoria based produkt called "Rich´s", it isnt something that survived on the market though, hardly surprising.

I guess all european countries had some "ersatz" coffee, prewar brands included.

Holger

[Volklin]

Does anyone know what kind of soda-pop the wehrmacht drank? I assume they still had coke syrup left before the war?

[tommy303]

I seem to recall FANTA came out in 1939 when Coca-Cola of Germany could no longer get the cola nuts or syrup from the USA. It was decided to try to make some sort of artificial soda in order to keep the plants in operation, and the managing director told his staff to use their imaginations and explore their Fantazie----hence the name Fanta. It was a substitute soft drink made from apple fibre, whey, saccharin or beat sugar, and whatever fruits could be procured, plus some artificial flavorings as well.

[kordts]

Thanks to all for the replies. I never knew this thread would teach me so much. By the way, what is the German equivalent to "cheers", "salut" or "bottom's up?"

Cheers, Jeff.

[Volklin]

Yes i've tasted fanta before, the best one is pineapple flavor. I'm curious, was it drinked at the front?

[tommy303]

Hi Jeff,

Prosit! or Prost!

[kordts]

Hello Tommy!
Danke Schoene, I hope I got the spelling right:) I bet I missed an umlat or two. For this post I will sign off with:

Prosit, Jeff.

[tommy303]

Heia Volklin,

I suppose Fanta could have been imbibed at the front or in rear areas, but it was not an issue item to my recollection, nor were there any prohibitions on serving alcohol to young lads like there was in the US armed forces (due to many recruits being below legal drinking age). In any event, a soft drink would have run a poor second or third choice to most front line German troops.

[Volklin]

wow... and GIs would pop open coke bottles after taking a pacific island.

[Vikki]

Speaking of Fanta and period "soda," does anyone know whether "Kramer's" was a period German soft drink? At least one version is now bottled in Mt. Carmel, PA, with antique-style bottles with painted-on labels as "Kramer's Beverage." But I've been told that it was produced in similar bottles in Germany in the '40s (?).

~FV

[tommy303]

I am not at all familiar with Kramer's. However, the firm of Holsten-Brauerei AG of Altona was under contract to produce and bottle provision beer for the Wehrmacht. Provision beer had a slightly higher than normal alcohol content than regular beers and this allowed it to keep for longer periods, rather like porter or stout.