Boar's Head Liverwurst has made its last lunchbox.
Boar's Head announced last Friday that it would stop making the deli counter's most controversial cold cut.
Liverwurst is one disease resulting from a listeria outbreak. That led to a large scale recall of products.
“Our investigation identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that existed only at the Jarratt (Virginia) plant and was used only for liverwurst,” the company said in a statement.
“With this finding, we have made the decision to permanently discontinue serving liverwurst.”
This can be an unpleasant moment for the food manufacturer – But the reality is that liverwurst, once a popular flavour, has fallen out of vogue.
Liverwurst is “probably one of the least popular sandwich options in New York City,” Robert Sietsema of foodie outlet Eater NY wrote in an April essay about his quest to find a liverwurst sandwich in a city renowned for its old-world-style deli culture.
“Stuffed into sandwiches made of rye, pumpernickel or whole wheat, and topped with mustard and sometimes raw onions, liverwurst was a staple in many kids' lunch bags 30 years ago, though even then it seemed oddly old-fashioned.”
The writer sought out the liverwurst sandwich at five different Manhattan shops this year.
“Nobody seems to have it,” he wrote, adding that “the old-school sandwich makers at least knew what it was.”
Liverwurst is – and, in a growing number of instances, was – an emulsified sausage of German origin made from pig liver and other organs mixed with spices.
Liverwurst was generally affordable for families and, in the American culinary tradition, it was often served sliced into supermarket white bread sandwiches for a quick lunch.
Some versions of liverwurst were soft, like a paste, and were spread on bread.
Liverwurst was so popular during World War II that it sparked anger against rationing.
“Liverwurst caused a little crisis last week,” Time magazine reported in 1943.
“Rationed at seven points a pound, it lost much of its appeal. Since liverwurst could only be kept for a few days, dealers were depressed at seeing their stocks deteriorate.”
The publication listed it in the top tier of “honest dealer's meats … steaks, chops, liverwurst and all”.
Liverwurst gained popularity after the war, but remained relevant until the 1980s.
It was the best of times.
Now the worst time has come.
“Every time I eat liverwurst, everyone is disgusted by it,” one angry supporter of the Daily Delight posted on Reddit last year.
“I asked the woman at the deli how many people order liverwurst, and she tells me I'm the only person to order it in the last year,” @spvcebound wrote.
“Why is there so much hate for liverwurst?”
Liverwurst is a first for those who can stomach the ridicule and mincemeat of pig's liver.
The same person wrote, “Liverwurst sandwich with mustard is possibly the perfect lunch for me.”
