Discussing about food, there are indeed many things we can find. There are many types of food that can be processed to become different kinds of food. We can find many creations that are associated with a variety of foods.
As you know, just one food can produce many types of food. Whether it’s cooked in the normal way or made by fermentation. If you like fermented foods, many countries in the world have types of foods that are processed using fermented foods. Including Russia.
In Russia, there are some foods that are processed by fermentation. One of them is Sauerkraut. Have you ever known about Sauerkraut before? I think there are still many of you who don’t know that yet. For that, let’s see about the origin of Sauerkraut; The most favorite winter food.
Fermented foods have their own fans. These foods provide a refreshing sensation when we eat them. Even this fermented food does not need a cooking process so you can immediately enjoy it.
There are many types of food that can be made into fermented food. Each country must have their own unique fermented food. You can only get the original taste of the fermented food by visiting the original country of origin of the food. One of the countries that have fermented food is Russian.
In Russia, there are many foods that are processed by applying the fermentation. The results of fermentation usually tend to be acidic but that is precisely the refreshing taste for some people. Sauerkraut is one example of food made by fermentation.
Do you already know about this Sauerkraut? I think there are still many of you who do not know and wonder about what kind of food it is. Therefore, to answer your curiosity, this article will discuss about the origin of Sauerkraut; The most favorite winter food.
- About Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is food made from chunks of raw cabbage that is processed by fermentation. The bacteria used in this fermented process are lactobacillus bacteria. The fermentation process in Sauerkraut will later turn natural sugars into lactic origin, so that these foods will last longer. Sauerkraut is actually originated in Germany but is also a favorite food in Russia during the winter. Sauerkraut is included in healthy food, because it is made from natural ingredients and is made without a cooking process so that the nutrients are still maintained.
- History of Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut has often been used as a side dish. That is one example of traditional fermented foods that are already existing in the culture of the past. Actually, there are many claims about this food, because in fact some say that even though the word “Sauerkraut” comes from the German language but the food did not come from Germany, but who knows. The name Sauerkraut literally means “sour cabbage” or it can be “sour herb”. Meanwhile, in the Slavic languages and other Central European languages, the word “Sauerkraut” has a meaning that is slightly similar to the previous “fermented cabbage”.
- The Type of Sauerkraut
In some countries, there are many foods that are similar to Sauerkraut. For example, in France, it is known as the Alsatian meal choucroute Garnie (French version for “dressed sauerkraut”). Whereas in countries such as Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Sauerkraut is also used in traditional soup there called Shchi (Russia), Kwaśnica (Poland) and others. Sometimes, Sauerkraut is made by using additional ingredients such as meat, paprika, beets, apples, grated carrots and others.
- How to Make Sauerkraut
If you want to taste Sauerkraut, you can make this food yourself in your home. There are many recipes for making Sauerkraut on the internet that you can use as your cooking guide. Here is one of the simple recipes for making Sauerkraut. The ingredients that you need are:
- 1 small cabbage (you can use cabbage with a weight equivalent to 3lb or 1.5 kg)
- 2-3 tablespoons of salt (it’s about 28 grams)
While the steps to make Sauerkraut are:
- Clean all the equipment you will use to make Sauerkraut so that the fermentation process can be carried out because good bacteria will grow in a clean environment.
- Cut the cabbage and place it in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle sea salt over the cabbage and knead by hand until the cabbage softens and takes out a lot of liquid.
- Place the cabbage in a jar and pour the liquid over the cabbage.
- Press the cabbage down until it is completely submerged (you can also add a little water).
- Cover the jar with a fitting lid or coffee filter tied using a rubber band.
- Let stand at room temperature for at least 2 weeks or more.
You must ensure that the jar lid you use is always tightly closed after you eat it so that the remaining Sauerkraut will continue to be in good condition.
- The Health Benefits of Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut also has many benefits, especially for our health. In Sauerkraut there are probiotics that are very beneficial for digestive health. For example, probiotics in Sauerkraut can help reduce some of the symptoms that often interfere with digestion such as bloating, constipation or other types of digestive problems. Sauerkraut is also believed to help break down the food that enters the body into smaller ones and that will make the food we eat more easily digested by the body because it contains enzymes.
And maybe there are still some of the origin of Sauerkraut; The most favorite winter food that haven’t been listed above. There is a lot of information you can find on the internet about Sauerkraut. I hope this article can really help you to find out all you need to know about the origin of Sauerkraut; The most favorite winter food. So, have you started to be interested in tasting the unique taste of Sauerkraut?