Where did sour kraut originate?

Question

Why was it made? It is just cabbage and a ton of salt. I almost have to acquire a taste for it just to eat it. Does it even have any nutritional benifets to it?

sorry about spelling

Wow! cool. I ate some today... I was craving it....Strange huh?

Answer 1

Sauerkraut (also sourcrout) - A chopped cabbage that is salted and then fermented in its own juice. The word, which in German means "sour cabbage," is first mentioned in American English in 1776 and the dish was long associated with German communities in the United States.

Sauerkraut was also a Pennsylvania Dutch specialty. The Dutch explorers carried barrels of sauerkraut on their ships. The properties in sauerkraut helped fight disease.

Chinese cooks also developed ingenious ideas, as early as 200 B.C. They were pickling cabbage in wine and using it as a accompaniment to meals. Genghis Khan substituted salt for the wine and carried this "sauerkraut" (as it is now called) to the eastern edge of Europe.


Sauerkrauts Specific Health Benefits
Sauerkraut as immune booster
One of the not so secret benefits of sauerkraut is the boost it gives to immune systems. Packed with vitamins andminerals, sauerkraut has been used as a lay immune booster for centuries.Sauerkraut contains phytochemicals which are created during the fermentation process. These naturally occurring, beneficial by products of sauerkraut help boost the immune system which leads to a decrease in a number of health problems. The common cold, skin problems, weight gain and tainted blood are all fixed by a healthy functioning immune system.
Sauerkraut as cancer fighter
The most recent evidence of sauerkraut's status as a Superfood is found in numerous studies on the cruciferous wonder's cancer fighting properties. The results of a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that sauerkraut is a cancer inhibitor. The study discovered that the fermentation of cabbage produced a substance called isothiocynates, which prevents cancer growth, particularly in the breast, colon, lung and liver. Although raw cabbage is normally rich in a compound called glucosinolate, the researchers found that during the fermentation process enzymes are released that completely decompose the compound into several breakdown products. The majority of these products are cancer-fighting isothiocyanates. The University of New Mexico published a study linking sauerkraut consumption by adolescent females to a reduced risk for breast cancer earlier studies indicate sauerkraut may reduce the risk for other forms of cancer including lung, colon, prostate, and liver We are finding that fermented cabbage could be healthier than raw or cooked cabbage, especially for fighting cancer, says Eeva-Liisa Ryhanen, Ph.D., research manager of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, located in Jokioinen, Finland. A recent study by the American Center for Cancer Research has found that sauerkraut has a profound effect in preventing and healing breast cancer. Based on reports that breast cancer rates amongst polish women in the United States were much higher than those in Poland researchers set out to find out why. Their answer; the women who still lived in Poland ate significantly larger amounts of sauerkraut especially important while they were in adolescence. The research found that the women who immigrated Americanized' their diets and stopped eating as much of the super food that is sauerkraut thus increasing their rates of breast cancer.
Digestive Aid
Eating sauerkraut is a great way to protect the balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Sauerkraut is one of the few foods that contain the bacterium Lactobacilli plantarum. L. planatarum is a very dominant strain of healthful bacteria which helps your digestive system in the following ways: boost the immune system by increasing antibodies that fight infectious disease help inhibit pathogenic organisms including E.coli, salmonella and unhealthy overgrowth of candida (yeast) create antioxidants (glutathione and superoxide dismustase) that scavenge free radicals which are a cancer precursor transforms hard-to-digest lactose from milk to the more easily digested lactic acid. It neutralizes the antinutrients found in many foods including the phytic acid found in all grains and the trypsin-inhibitors in soy generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and the trace mineral GTF chromium. These various properties are the best scientific reasons given for what has been known by loyal users for millennia, sauerkraut cures an upset stomach and is the best natural physic there is. Many sources say raw fermented foods are beneficial to the digestive system by increasing the healthy flora in the intestinal tract or creating the type of environment for them to flourish. Sauerkraut and its juice are traditional folk remedies for constipation. Fermentation actually increases nutrient values in the cabbage, especially vitamin C. Fermented foods are also said to facilitate the breakdown and assimilation of proteins. They have a soothing effect on the nervous system. The benefits of sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice have been recognized for generations. In some families of southern Germany, the children are fed raw sauerkraut twice weekly to support their intestines. Today it is thought that these benefits may relate to a high proportion of lactic acid in sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice that naturally supports the digestive processes, maintain intestinal flora, and increase the feeling of well-being.
Flu Fighter
With the spread of Avian Flu spreading across the globe, one enterprising Korean scientist, Kang Sa-Ouk of Seoul National University, took 13 chickens infected with avian flu virus and a couple of other diseases, fed them Kim chi extract and found that 11 of the birds recovered. Experts think the vital bacteria are created during the fermenting process and this gives the dish its health-boosting qualities.

Answer 2

Sauerkraut

Definition: [SOW-uhr-krowt] Although sauerkraut--German for "sour cabbage"--is thought of as a German invention, Chinese laborers building the Great Wall of China over 2,000 years ago ate it as standard fare. Chinese sauerkraut, made from shredded cabbage fermented in rice wine, eventually found its way to Europe, where the Germans and Alsatians adopted it as a favorite. Today's sauerkraut is made by combining shredded cabbage, salt and sometimes spices, and allowing the mixture to ferment. It can be purchased in jars and cans in supermarkets. Fresh sauerkraut is sold in delicatessens and in plastic bags in a supermarket's refrigerated section. It should be rinsed before being used in casseroles, as a side dish and even on sandwiches like the famous reuben sandwich. Sauerkraut is an excellent source of vitamin C as well as of some of the B vitamins.

Answer 3

Sauerkraut is thought to have originated in the north of China among the Mongols and was introduced in Europe by migrating tribes. Eastern Europeans, in particular, consume a large amount of sauerkraut. Jews adopted sauerkraut as part of their cuisine and are thought to have introduced it in the northern countries Western Europe and the United States. Sauerkraut is a staple of the winter diet in Germany and the Netherlands. While sauerkraut is customarily prepared with pork, Jews customarily use goose or duck meat.

Although sauerkraut - German for "sour cabbage" - is thought of as a German invention, Chinese laborers building the Great Wall of China over 2,000 years ago ate it as standard fare. Chinese sauerkraut, made from shredded cabbage fermented in RICE WINE,

Most likely it was brought to Europe 1000 years later by Gengis Kahn after plundering China.

Although in Germany instead of using the wine they dry cured it by sprinkling salt on the shredded cabbage. The water is then drawn out of the cabbage to make the juice that you see that accompanies the kraut.

The Dutch , who were great sea-fearing traders used sauerkraut on their ships as it did not need refrigeration and helped prevent scurvy.

Today's sauerkraut is made by combining shredded cabbage, salt and sometimes spices, and allowing the mixture to ferment. It can be purchased in jars and cans in supermarkets. Fresh sauerkraut is sold in delicatessens and in plastic bags in a supermarket's refrigerated section. It should be rinsed before being used in casseroles, as a side dish and even on sandwiches like the famous REUBEN SANDWICH. Sauerkraut is an excellent source of vitamin C as well as of some of the B vitamins.

There is a theory that the Tartars introduced the acid cabbage from the Orient into eastern Europe, and from there kraut went to Germany, Alsace-Lorraine, and France.

Answer 4

Sauerkraut is a pickled cabbage. It is actually German for "sour cabbage". The chinese started making it first, they would ferment or rot the cabbage in rice wine. The germans then changed things up and instead of rice wine, started sprinkling salt on it do dry cure it. The liquid is brought out by the salt.

It is high in Vitamin C and some of the B Vitamins.

If you drain it, it has 27 calories and .2 grams of fat in a cup.
If you leave the juice on, it has 45 calories and .3 grams of fat in a cup.

Answer 5

Germany

Answer 6

the french and germans don't eat sauerkraut raw right out of the jar, or package.

they usually drain it, wash it, and cook it with other stuff before they eat it. that way, it becomes more delicious because of the other flavors you add to it.

in america, sauerkraut is usually used raw, and on top of hot dogs.

the french have a version of sauerkraut called choucroute garnie, or just choucroute. it's sauerkraut and sausages and other meats cooked together in a crockpot. it's like comfort food for them like mac and cheese.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/02/23/FDGK6BCIB21.DTL



it can be nutritious because sauerkraut is a fermented product like yogurt.

Answer 7

Sauerkraut originated in Germany.Usually used for a condiment for Bratwurst sausages and perigoies....I hope this help...I have also added a link to give you further details....take care.

Answer 8

in the nutsack of the lamb