10 foods that were renamed for political vengeance

Combine that desire to hurt with politics and our habit of renaming things to 'wipe' out someone else's influence or association with it.

These ten examples give a whole new meaning to 'food fight'.

1. Kiwi

These bright green tangy fruits were originally called Chinese Gooseberry.

The native Chinese fruit was introduced to New Zealand in 1904, and in 1959 export started. However, due to the Cold War and China's influence it, America was not having it!

At first, the New Zealanders tried to rename the fruit "melonettes". This was a bad business idea because melons were charged high taxes.

They eventually settled on 'Kiwi' and the world was a better place for it.

2. French Fries became Freedom Fries

In 2003, France refused to back America's military invasion of Iraq. Americans, of course, took this for betrayal and immediately adopted anti-French sentiments.

It wasn't long before the sentiments reached the famous French Fries (which are actually Belgian).

A restaurant owner in North Carolina decided to rename them Freedom Fries which made News headlines.

Congressmen were even tempted to want to adopt the new name in the Capitol cafeteria.

Thankfully, everything sounds better with the "French" prefix. The French mostly suggested that the invasion was a more important matter than baptising potatoes.

3. Danish pastry became Roses of Muhammad

Danish pastry or simply "Danish" is a beloved sweet pastry attributed to Denmark or the Danish.

It is also a weakness in the country's armour if the enemy wants to wipe out a part of their culture.

Which is what Iran did in 2006. Or tried to.

After a Danish paper published pictures of the prophet Muhammad (which is forbidden in the Muslim faith) the Iran Confectioner's Union ordered Danish to be replaced with "Roses of the Prophet Muhammad".

4. Chicken Kiev becomes Chicken Kyiv

This classic, and old-fashioned, restaurant dish has become rare on menus.

It is made out of pounded chicken breast, which is then rolled around in a herb-butter mixture. Then it is coated with eggs and breadcrumbs and fried.

For a while now, there has been desire to change it to Chicken Kyiv. The 2022 war spurred efforts to make this dish Ukranian.

'Kiev' is the name and Russain spelling for the Ukranian city while it was under Soviet rule. In support of Ukraine, it has been branded with the Ukranian spelling "Kyiv" which is what Ukranians want it to be called.

5. Turkish coffee became Greek Coffee

Turkish Coffee became Greek Coffee when Greece had political beef with Turkey.

This name has endured, mostly in Greece. In other countries, if you order a Turkish Coffee, it will taste a lot like Greek Coffee.

Turkish coffee is a lot thicker than any coffee you'll commonly find. It is a coffee fan favourite even in Greece.

When Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, Greece retaliated by dropping Turkey from their coffee.

But this was not the only incident that caused the Turks to lose their coffee rights. Bosnian coffeem Cypriot coffee, Armenian coffee, all seem to have been Turkish coffee.

6. German Sauerkraut became Liberty Cabbage

German's staple delicacy Sauerkraut was renamed Liberty cabbage.

Sauerkraut in English is "sour cabbage" and it is one of the foods closely associated with Germany so much so that Germans are occasionally called Krauts.

But when the World War 1 came, German culture was target of extinction.

Sauerkraut makers in United States suggested the rebrand to appease the people so that they could retain the delicacy on the dinner menu.

7. Americano Coffee was renamed Russiano Coffee

In 2014, coffee shops in Russia rebranded Americano coffee (water and espresso) as Russiano coffee. This change was spontaneous too.

The Russian Prime Minister had made a joke about Americano not being politically correct. To which an Armenian politician responded by suggesting Russiano.

At the time, Russia was not happy with America's take on its conflict with Ukraine. Although Russiano was said in a joke, it was adopted and put on menus.

8. Berliner donuts became kitchener buns

Berliners are a kind of donut and in America they are called jelly donuts. They were very common in Australia because at the time of the World War 1, the country had strong German roots.

When World War 1 hit, anti-German sentiment prompted change of the name from Berliner to the Kichener buns.

The new name was taken from Lord Kitchener, a British Field Marshal and Secretary of State for War during the first world war. His name was the most un-German name to give a pastry.

In Canada, the city in Ontario that was called Berlin before the war, was renamed Kitchener.

9. Hamburgers became Liberty Sandwiches

Sauerkraut, down. Berliners, down. Next, hamburger..

Hamburgers get their name from Hamburg, Germany, where the famous concept of mincing meat with seasonings arose. This name was too German for people to handle during the first world war.

Eventually, the name came under scrutiny and was swapped out for liberty sandwiches.

10. Poutine renamed because it sounds like Putin

After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukranian war in 2022, a restaurant in Quebec USA, decided to rename the junk food Poutine as "fry cheese gravy". Poutine is French fries covered in cheese and hot gravy. It can be made out of fried onions or pulled pork.

The change started with a restaurant owner in Montreal called Laurent Proulx.

Why?

Well, although in English Poutine is pronounced "poo teen", in French it is pronounced "puh tin" which is how you pronounce Vladimir Putin's name in French.