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Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw
cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...
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 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 dish A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons: * It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be ...
es in Germany. 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, () '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 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 as ...
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 Europe Central and Eastern Europe is a term encompassing the countries in the Baltics, Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Southeast Europe (mostly the Balkans), usually meaning former communist states from the Eastern Bloc and Warsaw Pact in Europe. ...
an 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 food Freezing food preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, farmers, fishermen, and trappers have preserved grains and produce in unheated buildings during the winter season. Freezing food slows decompositi ...
s, 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 ra ...
,
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 as ...
, and Eastern Europe, sauerkraut – like other preserved foods – provided a source of nutrients during the winter. Captain
James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
always took a store of sauerkraut on his sea voyages, since experience had taught him it prevented scurvy. The word "'' Kraut''", derived from this food, is a derogatory term for the German people. During World War I, 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 Article">


Production

Sauerkraut is made by a process of pickling called
lactic acid fermentation Lactic acid fermentation is a metabolic process by which glucose or other six-carbon sugars (also, disaccharides of six-carbon sugars, e.g. sucrose or lactose) are converted into cellular energy and the metabolite lactate, which is lactic acid ...
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 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. The ...
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'' and '' Enterobacter'' 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 ''Levilactobacillus brevis'' is a gram-positive, rod shaped species of lactic acid bacteria which is heterofermentative, creating CO2, lactic acid and acetic acid or ethanol during fermentation. ''L. brevis'' is the type species of the genus '' ...
'' 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 Genomics is an interdisciplinary field of biology focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes. A genome is an organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes as well as its hierarchical, three-dim ...
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 lenticula ...
'' 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 Sourdough or sourdough bread is a bread made by the fermentation of dough using wild lactobacillaceae and yeast. Lactic acid from fermentation imparts a sour taste and improves keeping qualities. History In the ''Encyclopedia of Food Microbio ...
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 Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...
,
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 Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
, Moravian,
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
, Russian, and Ukrainian cuisine, chopped cabbage is often pickled together with shredded
carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', nat ...
s. Other ingredients may include caraway seeds, whole or quartered apples 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 pepper The bell pepper (also known as paprika, sweet pepper, pepper, or capsicum ) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange ...
s 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 Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
''
pierogi 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, Easter ...
'', Ukrainian '' varenyky'', Russian '' pirogi'' and '' pirozhki''. Sauerkraut is also the central ingredient in traditional soups, such as ''
shchi Shchi ( rus, щи, p=ɕːi, a=Ru-щи.ogg) is a Russian-style cabbage soup. When sauerkraut is used instead, the soup is called sour shchi, while soups based on sorrel, spinach, nettle, and similar plants are called green shchi (russian: зел ...
'' (a
national dish A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons: * It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be ...
of Russia), '' kwaśnica'' (Poland), '' kapustnica'' ( Slovakia), and '' zelňačka'' ( Czech Republic resp. Moravian). It is an ingredient of Polish '' bigos'' (a hunter's stew). In Germany and Austria, 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 ''Schweinshaxe'' (), in German cuisine, is a roasted ham hock (or “pork knuckle”). The ham hock is the end of the pig's leg, just above the ankle and below the meaty ham portion. It is especially popular in Bavaria as ''Schweinshaxn'' ʃ ...
'', '' Kassler'') or sausages (smoked or fried sausages, '' Frankfurter Würstchen'', Vienna sausages, black pudding), accompanied typically by roasted or steamed potatoes or dumplings ('' knödel'' or ''
schupfnudel Schupfnudel (German; plural ''Schupfnudeln''), also called Fingernudel (''finger noodle''), is a type of dumpling or thick noodle in southern German and Austrian cuisine. It is similar to the Central European kopytka. They take various forms and ...
''). Similar recipes are common in other Central European cuisines. The Czech
national dish A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons: * It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be ...
''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 , 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, 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 it is called ''chucrut'' and is a common topping for sandwiches and hotdogs, especially for
completo The completo (Spanish for "complete", "total") is a hot dog variation eaten in Chile, usually served with ingredients such as chopped tomatoes, avocados, mayonnaise, sauerkraut, salsa Americana, ají pepper and green sauce. It can be twice the ...
s. Sauerkraut, along with pork, is eaten traditionally in Pennsylvania on New Year's Day. The tradition, started by the
Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...
, 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, particularly in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
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 ''zuurkool
stamppot ''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-type ...
File:08023 dumplings stuffed with sauerkraut.JPG, ''
Pierogi 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, Easter ...
'' with sauerkraut File:Cabbage Soup Kapuśniak 01.JPG, ''
Kapuśniak Cabbage soup may refer to any of the variety of soups based on various cabbages, or on sauerkraut and known under different names in national cuisines. Often it is a vegetable soup. It may be prepared with different ingredients. Vegetarian cabb ...
'' 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 and magnesium, and it is a very good source of
dietary fiber Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by the ...
, folate, iron, potassium, 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 enzymes. 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 physician
John Jay Terrell John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
(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 glucosin ...
produced in sauerkraut fermentation inhibit the growth of cancer cells in test tube and animal studies. A Polish study in 2010 concluded that "
induction Induction, Inducible or Inductive may refer to: Biology and medicine * Labor induction (birth/pregnancy) * Induction chemotherapy, in medicine * Induced stem cells, stem cells derived from somatic, reproductive, pluripotent or other cell t ...
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 Flatulence, in humans, is the expulsion of gas from the intestines via the anus, commonly referred to as farting. "Flatus" is the medical word for gas generated in the stomach or bowels. A proportion of intestinal gas may be swallowed environm ...
due to the
trisaccharide ''Trisaccharides'' are oligosaccharides composed of three monosaccharides with two glycosidic bonds connecting them. Similar to the disaccharides, each glycosidic bond can be formed between any hydroxyl group on the component monosaccharides. Even ...
raffinose, which the human
small intestine The small intestine or small bowel is an organ in the gastrointestinal tract where most of the absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intestine, and receives bile and pancreatic juice through the p ...
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.


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 ''Atchara'' (also spelled ''achara'' or ''atsara'') is a pickle made from grated unripe papaya originating from the Philippines. This dish is often served as a side dish for fried or grilled foods such as pork barbecue. History The nam ...
'' 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 The Sauerkraut missions (''Operation Sauerkraut'') were secret service operations planned and carried out by the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during the Second World War from July 1944 to at least March 1945. The aim was to enable rap ...
* *


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