sauerkraut on:  
[Wikipedia]  
[Google]  
[Amazon]
Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage"
) is finely cut raw
cabbage that has been
fermented by various
lactic acid bacteria.
It has a long
shelf life and a distinctive
sour flavor, both of which result from the
lactic acid
Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as nat ...
formed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves.
[Gil Marks]
Encyclopedia of Jewish Food
p. 1052.[Joseph Mercola, Brian Vaszily, Kendra Pearsall, Nancy Lee Bentley]
Dr. Mercola's Total Health Cookbook & Program
p. 227. It is one of the best-known
national dishes in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
.
Although in English-speaking countries it is known under its German name, it is also widely known in
Eastern Europe and other places (see below). For example, in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, () 'sour cabbage' or () 'fermented cabbage' has been a traditional and ubiquitous dish from ancient times.
Overview and history
Fermented foods have a long history in many cultures, with sauerkraut being one of the most well-known instances of traditional fermented moist cabbage side dishes.
The
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
writers
Cato (in his ''
De Agri Cultura'') and
Columella (in his ''
De re Rustica'') mentioned preserving cabbages and
turnips with salt.
Although "sauerkraut" is from a German word (''Sauerkraut''), the dish did not originate in Germany. Some claim fermenting cabbage ''
suan cai'' was already practised in the days of the building of the
Great Wall of China and that the practice was likely transmitted from China to Europe by the
Tartars. However, the Romans, as previously noted, pickled forms of cabbage, and were the more likely source of modern-day sauerkraut It then took root in
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
and
Eastern European cuisines, but also in other countries including the Netherlands, where it is known as ''zuurkool'', and France, where the name became ''choucroute''. The English name is borrowed from German where it means "sour cabbage".
The names in Slavic and other
Central and Eastern European languages have similar meanings with the German word: "fermented cabbage" ( sq, lakër turshi, az, kələm turşusu, be, квашаная капуста, cs, kysané zelí, lt, rauginti kopūstai, rus, квашеная капуста, kvašenaja kapusta, Turkısh: lahana turşusu,
ro, varză murată, Persian: kalam torş, uk, квашена капуста) or "sour cabbage" ( bg, кисело зеле, et, hapukapsas, fi, hapankaali, hu, savanyúkáposzta, lv, skābēti kāposti, mk, расол / кисела зелка, pl, kapusta kiszona, rus, кислая капуста, kislaya kapusta, sh-Cyrl-Latn, кисели купус / кисело зелје, kiseli kupus / kiselo zelje, sk, kyslá kapusta, sl, kislo zelje, uk, кисла капуста, ''kysla kapusta'').
Before
frozen foods, refrigeration, and cheap transport from warmer areas became readily available in
Northern
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a r ...
,
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
, and
Eastern Europe, sauerkraut – like other preserved foods – provided a source of nutrients during the winter. Captain
James Cook always took a store of sauerkraut on his sea voyages, since experience had taught him it prevented
scurvy
Scurvy is a deficiency disease, disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, anemia, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, ch ...
.
The word "''
Kraut''", derived from this food, is a derogatory term for the German people. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, due to concerns the American public would reject a product with a German name, American sauerkraut makers relabeled their product as "liberty cabbage" for the duration of the war.
[New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...]
Article">
Production
Sauerkraut is made by a process of
pickling called
lactic acid fermentation that is analogous to how traditional (not heat-treated)
pickled cucumbers and
kimchi are made. The cabbage is finely shredded, layered with salt, and left to ferment. Fully cured sauerkraut keeps for several months in an airtight container stored at 15°C (60°F) or below. Neither refrigeration nor
pasteurization is required, although these treatments prolong storage life.
Fermentation by
lactobacilli
The ''Lactobacillaceae'' are a family of lactic acid bacteria. It is the only family in the lactic acid bacteria which includes homofermentative and heterofermentative organisms; in the ''Lactobacillaceae,'' the pathway used for hexose fermentati ...
is introduced naturally, as these air-borne bacteria culture on raw cabbage leaves where they grow. Yeasts also are present, and may yield soft sauerkraut of poor flavor when the fermentation temperature is too high. The fermentation process has three phases, collectively sometimes referred to as population dynamics. In the first phase,
anaerobic bacteria such as ''
Klebsiella
''Klebsiella'' is a genus of Gram-negative, oxidase-negative, rod-shaped bacteria with a prominent polysaccharide-based capsule.
''Klebsiella'' species are found everywhere in nature. This is thought to be due to distinct sublineages devel ...
'' and ''
Enterobacter
''Enterobacter'' is a genus of common Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. It is the type genus of the order Enterobacterales. Several strains of these bacteria are ...
'' lead the fermentation, and begin producing an acidic environment that favors later bacteria. The second phase starts as the acid levels become too high for many bacteria, and ''
Leuconostoc mesenteroides'' and other ''Leuconostoc'' species take dominance. In the third phase, various ''Lactobacillus'' species, including ''
L. brevis'' and ''
L. plantarum'', ferment any remaining sugars, further lowering the
pH. Properly cured sauerkraut is sufficiently
acidic to prevent a favorable environment for the growth of ''
Clostridium botulinum'', the toxins of which cause
botulism.
A 2004
genomic study found an unexpectedly large diversity of lactic acid bacteria in sauerkraut, and that previous studies had oversimplified this diversity. ''
Weissella
''Weissella'' is a genus of gram-positive bacteria placed within the family Lactobacillaceae, formerly considered species of the ''Leuconostoc paramesenteroides'' group. The morphology of ''Weissella'' species varies from spherical or lenticul ...
'' was found to be a major organism in the initial, heterofermentative stage, up to day 7. It was also found that ''
Lactobacillus brevis'' and ''
Pediococcus pentosaceus'' had smaller population numbers in the first 14 days than previous studies had reported.
The Dutch sauerkraut industry found that inoculating a new batch of sauerkraut with an old batch resulted in an excessively sour product. This
sourdough process is known as "backslopping" or "inoculum enrichment"; when used in making sauerkraut, first- and second-stage population dynamics, important to developing flavor, are bypassed. This is due primarily to the greater initial activity of species ''L. plantarum''.
Regional varieties
In
Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani may refer to:
* Something of, or related to Azerbaijan
* Azerbaijanis
* Azerbaijani language
See also
* Azerbaijan (disambiguation)
* Azeri (disambiguation)
* Azerbaijani cuisine
* Culture of Azerbaijan
The culture of Azerbaijan ...
,
Belarusian,
Estonian
Estonian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe
* Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent
* Estonian language
* Estonian cuisine
* Estonian culture
See also
*
...
,
Latvian,
Lithuanian,
Moravian,
Polish,
Russian, and
Ukrainian cuisine, chopped cabbage is often pickled together with shredded
carrots. Other ingredients may include caraway seeds, whole or quartered
apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...
s for additional flavor or cranberry for flavor and better keeping (the
benzoic acid in cranberries is a common preservative). Sometimes the finely chopped outer green cabbage leaves are fermented for special "grey" schi.
Bell peppers and
beets are added in some recipes for color. The resulting sauerkraut salad is typically served cold, as ''
zakuski'' or a side dish. A homemade type of very mild sauerkraut is available, where white cabbage is pickled with salt in a refrigerator for only three to seven days. This process results in very little lactic acid production. Sometimes in Russia double fermentation is used, with the initial step producing an exceptionally sour product, which is then "corrected" by adding 30-50% more fresh cabbage and fermenting the mix again. The flavor additives like apples, beets, cranberries, and sometimes even
watermelons are usually introduced at this step.
Sauerkraut may be used as a filling for
Polish ''
pierogi'', Ukrainian ''
varenyky
Pierogi are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savory or sweet filling and cooking in boiling water. They are often pan-fried before serving.
Pierogi or their varieties are associated with the cuisines of Central, Easte ...
'', Russian ''
pirogi'' and ''
pirozhki''. Sauerkraut is also the central ingredient in traditional soups, such as ''
shchi'' (a
national dish of Russia), ''
kwaśnica'' (Poland), ''
kapustnica'' (
Slovakia), and ''
zelňačka'' (
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
resp. Moravian). It is an ingredient of Polish ''
bigos'' (a hunter's stew).
In
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
and
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, cooked sauerkraut is often flavored with
juniper berries or
caraway seeds; apples and white wine are added in popular variations. In
South Tyrol, it is made with
Juniper berries,
Extra-virgin olive oil and smoked
pancetta. Traditionally it is served warm, with pork (e.g. ''
eisbein'', ''
schweinshaxe'', ''
Kassler'') or
sausages (smoked or fried sausages, ''
Frankfurter Würstchen'',
Vienna sausages,
black pudding), accompanied typically by roasted or steamed potatoes or dumplings (''
knödel
Knödel (; and ) or Klöße (; ) are boiled dumplings commonly found in Central European and East European cuisine. Central European countries in which their variant of ''Knödel'' is popular include Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, ...
'' or ''
schupfnudel''). Similar recipes are common in other Central European cuisines. The
Czech national dish ''vepřo knedlo zelo'' consists of roast pork with ''
knedliky'' and sauerkraut.
In Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, North Macedonia and Slovenia, usually the whole cabbage heads are pickled. Such produce is used for many dishes, from a simple salad made of chopped cabbage and sprinkled with paprika, to cabbage rolls. In northern parts of Serbia and Croatia, it is often added to the bean soup. In central Serbia, a local specialty called "wedding cabbage" is made by slowly stewing roughly cut cabbage with at least three kinds of meats, lean, fatty, and smoked.
In
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, the local type of sauerkraut
varza murata = whole pickled cabbage heads) are used as wrap for the national dish called "
Sarmale", a Turkish-inspired roll, made of pickled cabbage leaves with minced pork and rice, having its own personality and very distinct in taste from its Ottoman predecessor.
In
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, sauerkraut is the main ingredient of the
Alsatian meal ''
choucroute garnie
''Choucroute garnie'' ( French for ''dressed sauerkraut'') is an Alsatian recipe for preparing sauerkraut with sausages and other salted meats and charcuterie, and often potatoes.
Although sauerkraut/cabbage is a traditionally German and Easte ...
'' (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
for "dressed sauerkraut"), sauerkraut with sausages (Strasbourg sausages, smoked
Morteau or
Montbéliard sausages),
charcuterie (bacon, ham, etc.), and often
potatoes.
In
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
it is called ''chucrut'' and is a common topping for sandwiches and hotdogs, especially for
completos.
Sauerkraut, along with
pork, is eaten traditionally in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
on New Year's Day. The tradition, started by the
Pennsylvania Dutch, is thought to bring good luck for the upcoming year. Sauerkraut is also used in
American cuisine as a
condiment upon various foods, such as sandwiches and hot dogs.
In
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
, particularly in
Baltimore and on the Eastern Shore, sauerkraut is a traditional accompaniment for the Thanksgiving turkey.
File:Sauerkraut 2.jpg, Cooked sauerkraut
File:Zuurkool in pan.jpg, Dutch ''zuurkoolstamppot
''Stamppot'' (English: 'mash pot') is a traditional Dutch dish made from a combination of potatoes mashed with one or several vegetables.
History and description
These vegetable pairings traditionally include sauerkraut, endive, kale, spinach, tu ...
'' includes sauerkraut mashed with potatoes and is traditionally served with rookworst
The Rookworst (; smoked sausage) is a type of Dutch sausage in which ground meat is mixed with spices and salt and stuffed into a casing (originally made of intestine, but these days usually made of bovine collagen). Described as a Bologna-typ ...
File:08023 dumplings stuffed with sauerkraut.JPG, '' Pierogi'' with sauerkraut
File:Cabbage Soup Kapuśniak 01.JPG, '' Kapuśniak'' made with sauerkraut
File:Czech sausages and sauerkraut at restaurant Poseidon, Helsinki (bright).jpg, Central European-style sauerkraut and sausages is a popular snack dish in pubs.
File:VeproKnedloZelo-00.jpg, Czech ''Vepřo-knedlo-zelo''
File:Eisbein-2.jpg, Pickled '' Eisbein'' served with sauerkraut
File:Choucroute-p1030190.jpg, Alsatian ''Choucroute garnie
''Choucroute garnie'' ( French for ''dressed sauerkraut'') is an Alsatian recipe for preparing sauerkraut with sausages and other salted meats and charcuterie, and often potatoes.
Although sauerkraut/cabbage is a traditionally German and Easte ...
''
As Europeans, especially Germans, emigrated to other countries, many of them continued making and eating sauerkraut around the world.
Health effects
Benefits
Many health benefits have been claimed for sauerkraut:
* It is a high source of vitamins
C and
K;
the fermentation process increases the
bioavailability of nutrients rendering sauerkraut even more nutritious than the original cabbage.
[ It is also low in food energy and high in ]calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar ...
and magnesium, and it is a very good source of dietary fiber, folate, iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...
, potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin '' kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmos ...
, copper and manganese.
* If unpasteurized
Pasteurization or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than , to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life.
Th ...
and uncooked, sauerkraut also contains live lactobacilli
The ''Lactobacillaceae'' are a family of lactic acid bacteria. It is the only family in the lactic acid bacteria which includes homofermentative and heterofermentative organisms; in the ''Lactobacillaceae,'' the pathway used for hexose fermentati ...
and beneficial microbes and is rich in enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products ...
s. Fiber and probiotics improve digestion and promote the growth of healthy bowel flora, protecting against many diseases of the digestive tract.
* During the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, the physician John Jay Terrell (1829–1922) was able to successfully reduce the death rate from disease among prisoners of war; he attributed this to feeding his patients raw sauerkraut.
* Sauerkraut and its juice is a time-honored folk remedy for canker sores. The treatment is to rinse the mouth with sauerkraut juice for about 30 seconds several times a day, or place a wad of sauerkraut against the affected area for a minute or so before chewing and swallowing the sauerkraut.
* In 2002, the ''Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry'' reported that Finnish researchers found the isothiocyanates
In organic chemistry, isothiocyanate is the functional group , formed by substituting the oxygen in the isocyanate group with a sulfur. Many natural isothiocyanates from plants are produced by enzymatic conversion of metabolites called glu ...
produced in sauerkraut fermentation inhibit the growth of cancer cells in test tube and animal studies. A Polish study in 2010 concluded that " induction of the key detoxifying enzymes by cabbage juices, particularly sauerkraut, may be responsible for their chemopreventive activity demonstrated by epidemiological studies and in animal models".
Disadvantages
Excessive consumption of sauerkraut may lead to bloating and flatulence due to the trisaccharide raffinose
Raffinose is a trisaccharide composed of galactose, glucose, and fructose. It can be found in beans, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, other vegetables, and whole grains. Raffinose can be hydrolyzed to D-galactose and sucrose ...
, which the human small intestine cannot break down. This does not negatively affect long-term health, although it might be uncomfortable. Additionally, sauerkraut has a very high content of sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable ...
.
Similar foods
Many other vegetables are preserved by a similar process:
* ''Achaar
South Asian pickles, also known as avalehikā, pachchadi, achaar (sometimes spelled as aachaar), athaanu, loncha, oorugaai, or aavakaai, is a pickled food made from a variety of vegetables and fruits preserved in brine, vinegar, edible oils, and ...
'' in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan
* '' Atsara'' in the Philippines
* '' Brovada'' in northern Italy
* ''Curtido
Curtido () is a type of lightly fermented cabbage relish. It is typical in Salvadoran cuisine and that of other Central American countries, and is usually made with cabbage, onions, carrots, oregano, and sometimes lime juice; it resembles sauer ...
'' in El Salvador
* Dill pickles in eastern and central Europe
* '' Encurtido'' in Nicaragua
* '' Kimchi'' in Korea
* Silage, a feed for cattle
* '' Suan cai'' in northeastern China
* '' Tsukemono'' in Japan
* Kiseli kupus in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, and Bulgaria
See also
* Baiuvarii
* Coleslaw
*
*
*
*
* Sauerkraut missions
*
*
References
Bibliography
* ''USDA Canning guides'', Volume 7
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Laboratory Exercise in Sauerkraut Fermentation
Fermenting food since before H. sapiens appeared.
'' The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition''
Crunchy pickled cabbage: video-tutorial
Fermentation Tips for Beginners
{{Authority control
Ancient dishes
Cabbage dishes
Condiments
German cuisine
Austrian cuisine
National dishes
Cuisine of Baltimore
Pickles
Plant-based fermented foods
Sour foods
Vegan cuisine