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Sauerkraut (; , ) is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive Sourness flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves.
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. 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 in Central 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. 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 other Central and Eastern European languages have similar meanings with the German word: "fermented cabbage" (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , kiseli kupus / kiselo zelje, , , , kvashena kapusta).
Before , refrigeration, and cheap transport from warmer areas became readily available in Northern Europe, Central Europe, 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.
The word " Kraut", derived from this food, is a derogatory term for the German people. Oxford English Dictionary. Second edition, 1989. " 1. = SAUERKRAUT, SOURCROUT. Also attrib. and Comb. 2. (Often with capital initial.) A German, esp. a German soldier. Also attrib. and Comb. Derogatory." 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.
Fermentation by Lactobacillus 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 and L. plantarum, ferment any remaining sugars, further lowering the pH.The pH of completely cured sauerkraut is about 3.6; see 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 Genomics study found an unexpectedly large diversity of lactic acid bacteria in sauerkraut, and that previous studies had oversimplified this diversity. Weissella 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 combining a new batch of sauerkraut with an old batch resulted in an exceedingly 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.
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 are usually introduced at this step.
Sauerkraut may be used as a filling for Polish cuisine pierogi, Ukrainian varenyky, Russian and pirozhki. Sauerkraut is also the central ingredient in traditional soups, such as shchi (a national dish of Russia), cabbage soup (Poland), Cabbage soup (Slovak cuisine), and Cabbage soup (Czech cuisine resp. Moravian). It is an ingredient of Polish bigos (a hunter's stew).
In Ukraine, sauerkraut is known as квасна капуста () 'sour cabbage' or квашена капуста () 'fermented cabbage'.
In Russian cuisine, sauerkraut is known as кислая капуста () 'sour cabbage' or квашеная капуста () 'fermented cabbage'.
In German cuisine and Austrian cuisine, cooked sauerkraut is often flavored with Juniper berry 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 (smoked or fried sausages, Frankfurter Würstchen, , black pudding), accompanied typically by roasted or steamed potatoes or dumplings ( knödel or schupfnudel). Similar recipes are common in other Central European cuisines. The Czech cuisine 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 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.
In Szeklerland it is an essential part of székelygulyás and the erdélyi rakott káposzta (a type of casserole).
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 cuisine meal choucroute garnie (French language for "dressed sauerkraut"), sauerkraut with sausages (Strasbourg sausages, smoked Morteau Sausage or Montbéliard sausages), charcuterie (bacon, ham, etc.), and often .
In Chile it is called chucrut and is a common topping for sandwiches and hotdogs, especially for .
Sauerkraut, along with pork, is eaten traditionally in Pennsylvania 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, particularly in Baltimore and 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.Heuzenroeder, Angela May. A food culture transplanted: origins and development of the food of early German immigrants to the Barossa Region, South Australia (1839-1939). PhD dissertation., 2006.
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