sauerkraut
Sign in to saveSauerkraut (; , ) is finely cut raw white 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 formed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves.
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Sauerkraut is finely chopped raw white cabbage that has been fermented by lactic acid bacteria, giving it a sour taste and allowing it to last a long time without spoiling. The sour flavor and preservation come from lactic acid that forms as the bacteria break down the natural sugars in the cabbage.
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12 sectionsContents
- History
- Name
- Production
- Regional varieties
- Health effects
- Benefits
- Disadvantages
- Similar foods
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Sauerkraut (; , ) is finely cut raw white 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 formed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves.
==History== thumb|left|Polish kapusta kiszona Fermented foods have a long history in many cultures. The Roman writers Cato (in his De agri cultura) and Columella (in his De re Rustica) mentioned preserving cabbages and turnips with salt. According to Wilhelm Holzapfel et al., Plinius the Elder, writing in the first century AD, is reputed to have been the first writer to describe the making of sauerkraut by preserving what the Romans called salt cabbage in earthen vessels. Popular folklore has imagined that sauerkraut was introduced to Europe by the trade networks formed across Eurasia by the Golden 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 the Western Roman Empire.