Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is a pickled dish made from fermented cabbage and lactic acid bacteria. Traditionally, it is cabbage fermented in salt. It has a sour taste and is a common side dish in German cuisine.

Fast Facts

1. Literal translation: "Sour cabbage"
2. Root of derogatory term "Kraut" for someone of German extraction
3. Great source of Vitamin C
4. Discovered as a scurvy remedy by Captain James Cook
5. Similar dish: Kimchi
6. A head of cabbage can produce about ten cans of sauerkraut
7. In Bulgaria, used as a hangover cure

Variations and Style

Though German in origin, sauerkraut is a popular dish throughout Eastern Europe, served in a variety of styles. Polish and Bulgarian chefs often serve sauerkraut within stews and in dumplings.

It has been a long standing ingredient in the American Reuben sandwich, mixed with thousand island dressing atop corned beef.

Nutritional Facts

• Values for one cup of canned sauerkraut:

1. Protein: 1.29
2. Dietary Fiber: 4.1 grams
3. Sodium: 939 milligrams
4. Vitamin C: 33
   • (Source: USDA) ^[1]

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