Choucroute

The use of both grammatical and lexical cohesive devices in the article ‘Of cabbages and kings’ by Andrew McConnell from the SMH Good Weekend Magazine help the author to comment and explore the exceptional dish choucroute garnie à l'alsacienne. Through the introduction of multiple versions of Choucroute garnie throughout the history of cookery, minor chains concerned with the ingredients that are essential in making the dish authentic, and the taste assist in reinforcing the main theme. At the mean time, the relationship between the idea of time and place of this dish all contribute toward the chain of love affair toward this remarkable dish.

Firstly, the introduction of multiple versions of Choucroute garnie with the help from multiple lexical and grammatical cohesive devices is the largest of the cohesive chains which stretches throughout the text. The frequent repeat of the term “choucroute” from the beginning to the end of the article, with the synonymous terms “various pork products cooked with sauerkraut”, “light and healthy meal”, in addition with the large amount of personal pronouns such as “I”, “it” and “we”, which are

With the chain of time, the terms “mid-winter” and “winter” along with the two specific time frames, “a week” and “to this day”, help the author to establish the concept that choucroute is best to be eaten during the bitter chill winter. Combining with the collocation from the chain of places such as ‘”French”, “Russia”, “Paris”, “Alsace”, “German”, “Polish” and “German border”, it incorporate and elaborate the perception that choucroute is an influential and common dish which appeal to “regional cookery”. The repetition of “Paris” with the explicit reference to “healthy home-cooked meal” and “food hall” is critical in this article, as it brings the reader to the impression that choucroute garnie is a light meal which is suitable for gathering during the