Sauerkraut
Fermented cabbage with a long history and a sour bite.
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Raw white cabbage, cut finely and fermented by lactic acid bacteria, results in sauerkraut, which has a long shelf life and a sour taste from the lactic acid produced during fermentation.[1] The English term "sauerkraut" comes from the German word meaning "sour cabbage," yet the dish itself did not originate in Germany.[2]
Quick Facts
- Type
- fermented food
- Main ingredients
- white cabbage
- Fermentation agents
- lactic acid bacteria (e.g., Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus)
- Known for
- long shelf life
- sour flavor
- source of vitamin C
- Historical use
- prevented scurvy on Captain James Cook's voyages
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Plinius the Elder, writing in the first century AD, is reputed to have first described making sauerkraut as "salt cabbage" in earthen vessels.[3] There is evidence of sauerkraut production in Europe dating to the early Western Roman Empire.[4] Before refrigeration, sauerkraut provided a source of vitamin C during winter in Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe.[5] Leuconostoc mesenteroides and other Leuconostoc species become the dominant organisms in the second phase.[6]
In the third phase, various Lactobacillus species, including L. brevis and L. plantarum, ferment any remaining sugars, which further lowers the pH and creates an environment that prevents Clostridium botulinum growth.[6]
What the cited sources add
A Baltimore Sun article notes that sauerkraut has been a staple of Baltimore Thanksgiving dinners for at least 150 years.[7] The same source states that Germanic people and those from Alsace made sauerkraut central to their diet due to its low cost and high vitamin C content.[7] According to the Baltimore Sun, William Woys Weaver says traders from York and Chambersburg brought sauerkraut to Baltimore.[7] A livestrong.com article explains that sauerkraut with vinegar lacks the probiotic benefits of naturally fermented versions.[8]
The same source notes that for people with IBS, including sauerkraut in the diet may help reduce symptom severity.[8] According to The Baltimore Sun, a married couple in Baltimore cure their own sauerkraut in the old-fashioned way.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Sauerkraut" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Farnworth, "Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods", CRC, 2003, p. 395; "Fermented Fruits and Vegetables - A Global SO Perspective", fao.org, 1998; Marks, "Sauerkraut", Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010, p. 1052 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sauerkraut" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sauerkraut" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holzapfel, "Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods", CRC Press, 2003, p. 343 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sauerkraut" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Mack, "Food Culture in Russia and Central Asia", Bloomsbury Academic, 30 June 2005, p. 78–79 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sauerkraut" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: O'Sullivan, "In Search of Captain Cook: Exploring the Man Through His Own Words", Bloomsbury Publishing, 2008, p. 115; Makepeace, "Sauerkraut, sugar, and salt pork – the diet on board Cook's 'Resolution'", British Library Western Heritage Collection, 12 June 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sauerkraut" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Farnworth, "Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods", CRC, 2003, p. 395; "Fermented Fruits and Vegetables - A Global SO Perspective", fao.org, 1998 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Pitts, "Sauerkraut and turkey: an essential Baltimore Thanksgiving", The Baltimore Sun, 25 November 2013. facts only, no text reused. baltimoresun.com
- Busch, "Sauerkraut & Sodium", livestrong.com. facts only, no text reused. livestrong.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Sauerkraut (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Fermented Foods
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Sauerkraut (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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