Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut(/ˈsaʊ.ərˌkraʊt/;German:[ˈzaʊ.ɐˌkʁaʊt],lit.'sour cabbage')is finely cut rawcabbagethat has beenfermentedby variouslactic acid bacteria.It has a longshelf lifeand a distinctivesourflavor, both of which result from thelactic acidformed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves.
Fermentedfoods have a long history in many cultures. TheRomanwritersCato(in hisDe agri cultura) andColumella(in hisDe re Rustica) mentioned preserving cabbages andturnipswith salt. According to Wilhelm Holzapfel et al, Plinius the Elder, writing in the first century A.D., is reputed to have been the first writer to describe the making of sauerkraut by preserving what the Romans calledsalt cabbagein earthen vessels.Popular folklore has imagined that sauerkraut was introduced to Europe by thetrade networks formed across Eurasiaby theGolden Horde. However, according to Mack and Surina (2005), there is no evidence to support this theory, nor any evidence that fermented cabbage arrived from an East Asian source, and there is evidence of sauerkraut production in Europe dating back to the early period of theWestern Roman Empire.
Although "sauerkraut" is from a German word (Sauerkraut), the dish did not originate in Germany. Some claim fermenting cabbagesuan caiwas already practised in the days of the building of theGreat Wall of China.However, the Romans, as previously noted, pickled forms of cabbage, and were the more likely source of modern-day European sauerkraut.It then took root inCentralandEastern Europeancuisines, but also in other countries including the Netherlands, where it is known aszuurkool, and France, where the name becamechoucroute.According to Mack and Surina (2005), the Slavic peoples of Europe likely discovered fermented cabbage on their own.The English name is borrowed from German where it means "sour cabbage".
The names in Slavic and otherCentral and Eastern Europeanlanguages have similar meanings with the German word: "fermented cabbage" (Albanian:lakër turshi,Azerbaijani:kələm turşusu,Belarusian:квашаная капуста,Czech:kysané zelí,Lithuanian:rauginti kopūstai,Polish:kapusta kiszona/ kapusta kwaszona,Russian:квашеная капуста/кислая капуста,romanized:kvašenaja kapusta,Turkish:lahana turşusu,Romanian:varză murată,Persian:kalam torş,Bulgarian:кисело зеле,Estonian:hapukapsas,Hungarian:savanyúkáposzta,Latvian:skābēti kāposti,Macedonian:расол / кисела зелка,Serbo-Croatian:кисели купус / кисело зеље,kiseli kupus / kiselo zelje,Slovak:kyslá kapusta,Slovene:kislo zelje,Ukrainian:квашена капуста,kvashena kapusta).
Beforefrozen foods, refrigeration, and cheap transport from warmer areas became readily available inNorthern,Central, andEastern Europe, sauerkraut – like other preserved foods – provided a source of nutrients during the winter. CaptainJames Cookalways took a store of sauerkraut on his sea voyages, since experience had taught him it preventedscurvy.
The word "Kraut", derived from this food, is a derogatory term for the German people.DuringWorld War I, due to concerns the American public would reject a product with a German name, American sauerkraut makersrelabeled their productas "liberty cabbage" for the duration of the war.
Sauerkraut is made by a process ofpicklingcalledlactic acid fermentationthat is analogous to how traditional (not heat-treated)pickled cucumbersandkimchiare 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. In temperate climates, this allows storage over the full winter and early-Spring. Neither refrigeration norpasteurizationis required, although these treatments prolong storage life.
Fermentation bylactobacilliis 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,anaerobicbacteria such asKlebsiellaandEnterobacterlead 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, andLeuconostoc mesenteroidesand otherLeuconostocspecies take dominance. In the third phase, variousLactobacillusspecies, includingL. brevisandL. plantarum, ferment any remaining sugars, further lowering thepH.Properly cured sauerkraut is sufficientlyacidicto prevent a favorable environment for the growth ofClostridium botulinum, the toxins of which causebotulism.
A 2004genomicstudy found an unexpectedly large diversity of lactic acid bacteria in sauerkraut, and that previous studies had oversimplified this diversity.Weissellawas found to be a major organism in the initial, heterofermentative stage, up to day 7. It was also found thatLactobacillus brevisandPediococcuspentosaceushad smaller population numbers in the first 14 days than previous studies had reported.
The Dutch sauerkraut industry found that combining a new batch of sauerkraut with an old batch resulted in an exceedingly sour product. Thissourdoughprocess 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 speciesL. plantarum.
InAzerbaijani,Belarusian,Estonian,Latvian,Lithuanian,Czech,Slovak,Polish,Russian, andUkrainian cuisine, chopped cabbage is often pickled together with shreddedcarrots. Other ingredients may include caraway seeds, whole or quarteredapplesfor additional flavor orcranberryfor flavor and better keeping (thebenzoic acidin cranberries is a common preservative).Bell peppersandbeetsare added in some recipes for color. The resulting sauerkraut salad is typically served cold, aszakuskior 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 evenwatermelonsare usually introduced at this step.
Sauerkraut may be used as a filling forPolishpierogi, Ukrainianvarenyky, Russianpirogiandpirozhki.Sauerkraut is also the central ingredient in traditional soups, such asshchi(anational dishof Russia),kwaśnica(Poland),kapustnica(Slovakia), andzelňačka(Czech Republicresp. Moravian). It is an ingredient of Polishbigos(a hunter's stew).
InUkraine, sauerkraut is known asквасна капуста(kvasna kapusta) 'sour cabbage' orквашена капуста(kvashena kapusta) 'fermented cabbage'.
InRussia, sauerkraut is known asкислая капуста(kyslaya kapusta) 'sour cabbage' orквашеная капуста(kvashenaya kapusta) 'fermented cabbage'.
InGermanyandAustria, cooked sauerkraut is often flavored withjuniper berriesorcarawayseeds; apples and white wine are added in popular variations. InSouth Tyrol, it is made withJuniper berries,Extra-virgin olive oiland smokedpancetta. Traditionally it is served warm, with pork (e.g.eisbein,schweinshaxe,Kassler) orsausages(smoked or fried sausages,Frankfurter Würstchen,Vienna sausages,black pudding), accompanied typically by roasted or steamed potatoes or dumplings (knödelorschupfnudel).Similar recipes are common in other Central European cuisines. TheCzechnational dishvepřo knedlo zeloconsists of roast pork withknedlikyand sauerkraut.
In Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, North Macedonia and Slovenia, usually thewhole 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 Bulgarian cuisine sauerkraut is known as "кисело зеле", and many of traditional Bulgarian dishes is made with sauerkraut, like свинско със зеле(pork with sauerkraut), сарми(cabbage rolls), зелник(Bulgarian banitsa with sauerkraut), капама(sausage and meat with cabbage rolls and sauerkraut in clay pot), боб със зеле(beans with sauerkraut) and салата от кисело зеле с червен пипер(sauerkraut salad with paprika).  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.
InSzeklerlandit is an essential part ofszékelygulyásand theerdélyi rakott káposzta(a type of casserole).
InRomania, 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.
InFrance, sauerkraut is the main ingredient of theAlsatianmealchoucroute garnie(Frenchfor "dressed sauerkraut"), sauerkraut with sausages (Strasbourg sausages, smokedMorteauorMontbéliardsausages),charcuterie(bacon, ham, etc.), and oftenpotatoes.
InChileit is calledchucrutand is a common topping for sandwiches and hotdogs, especially forcompletos.
Sauerkraut, along withpork, is eaten traditionally inPennsylvaniaon New Year's Day. The tradition, started by thePennsylvania Dutch, is thought to bring good luck for the upcoming year.Sauerkraut is also used inAmerican cuisineas acondimentupon various foods, such as sandwiches and hot dogs.InMaryland, particularly inBaltimoreand on the Eastern Shore, sauerkraut is a traditional accompaniment for the Thanksgiving turkey.
As Europeans, especially Germans, emigrated to other countries, many of them continued making and eating sauerkraut around the world.
Many health benefits have been claimed for sauerkraut:
Excessive consumption of sauerkraut may lead tobloatingandflatulencedue to thetrisaccharideraffinose, which the humansmall intestinecannot break down. This does not negatively affect long-term health, although it might be uncomfortable.Additionally, sauerkraut has a very highsodiumcontent.
Many other vegetables are preserved by a similar fermentation pickling process: