Food and Drink and the War of Words During the Great War: Poilus, Pinard, and Pain KK

This essay looks at how food and drink were mobilized metaphorically in French soldiers' songs and writings during the Great War. It demonstrates how soldiers used food and drink to define the community of the trenches and to assert advantage over the enemy. In particular, this essay focuses on 'pinard,' the French wine of the trenches and 'K-Brot,' the German wartime potato bread. Considering the two elements together suggests ways in which food could be understood as a category of religious experience during the war and suggests new avenues for research.