MADISON, Wis. — Lots of states have food things... right?
Maine has lobster. Maryland has crab cakes. Steaks are big in Nebraska, Georgia digs peaches, and here in Minnesota, we have food on sticks and lutefisk.
But over in Wisconsin, during this most wonderful time of year, they have a thing that their state health department -- really would rather they didn't.
"It's raw ground beef and then sometimes salt, pepper, onions other things mixed in there served with crackers or bread, and then eaten raw," explained Jordan Mason, with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).
They call it "tiger meat" or a "cannibal sandwich," and according to Mason, the health department's official position on this holiday tradition is:
"Eating any kind of raw beef, whether it's in cannibal sandwiches or in just eating an undercooked hamburger, has a risk of bacterial infections."
What could happen to you if you eat raw ground beef?
A toxin-producing E. coli, apparently.
Some people, especially young kids, get a very bad sequel called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can land them in the hospital.
Not good.
So not good, in fact, that Mason and her team at the DHS sent out a friendly tweet this past weekend saying: don't do this.
But that tweet lit Twitter up like a holiday tree, with folks falling in two camps.
One had people saying they're from Wisconsin, and they've never heard of this, nor would they do it.
And the rest were saying, this is as on-brand Wisconsin as it gets.
Kurt Vlock from Racine is solidly in camp two.
"People in Wisconsin during Christmastime like to eat raw hamburger on a sandwich," he said. "Cannibal sandwich, onions and salt and pepper-- just terrific."
And by people, he means his family, for years.
"Growing up that was one of the special Christmas Eve traditions as my house," Vlock said.
And yes, he knows the Department of Health Services said to stop doing it.
"It's probably good advice, 'cause it's a concern," he admitted, "But like I said, as long as you get it from a really good butcher shop-- and the one we get it from is the one we've gone to for years, so we can be assured of quality."
But let's get back to the health department, for the origin of this dish in the state.
"It's a German tradition," Mason said, "so I think for a lot of people it's kind of bringing back grandma and grandpa's recipe. Prior relatives brought it when they came from Germany or other parts of Europe."
So in some ways, some folks might think the DHS is trying to crush family traditions.
"Right," Mason agreed. "I guess no one wants to be the holiday grinch."
Not at all, but the health department will take safety first... as it has a pandemic to deal with at present.
No need for an E. coli outbreak as a side hustle.
But many will still partake because, well, according to Vlock:
"A little salt, pepper, fantastic."