# Do You Like Sauerkraut? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874 "2011-03-24T18:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/41 "2011-03-25T04:01:05Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > But their real white stuff is often much less acidic than its American counterpart. Most likely, it’s because you had the fermented stuff. Recipe [here](http://germanfood.about.com/od/saladsandsides/r/Sauerkraut.htm), for example. It’s a much more mellow (and slightly fruity or something) acidity. Plus, I like how a lot of their kraut has juniper berries in it. Goes very nice, indeed, with pork or game meats. One of my favorite soups is a Polish soup called “kapuśniak,” which is made with sauerkraut (preferably the fermented kind), sometimes mixed with regular cabbage, some potatoes, and smoked meats (sausage and/or ribs and/or bacon). So good. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/42 "2011-03-25T04:28:32Z")
I love it on hot dogs or as a side dish. Sometimes I mix in a little of my home-made tomato sauce. I also like “new kraut,” but haven’t seen it in a long time. Perhaps I’ll have to make my own. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/43 "2011-03-25T04:36:52Z")
My Go-to Brand is [Snowfloss (or Frank’s) Sauerkraut](http://www.sauerkraut.com/brands.htm). I think it is made traditionally- nothing but Cabbage, Water, and Salt (maybe some modern chemical salts as a minimum preserve. and I wish it didn’t have that.). As a matter of fact, they grow a lot of the cabbages for that right near me. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/44 "2011-03-25T04:55:25Z")
We have Frank’s here. It is, so far as I know, made without vinegar. _Googles_ [Yes, this confirms it.](http://www.ohiomagazine.com/Main/Articles/Kraut_Appeal_3719.aspx) > [@](#): > > Salt is added to the washed cabbage as a preservative, but no wine or vinegar. > > […] > > During fermentation, acetic acid and lactic acid are produced, creating the flavor of sauerkraut (“sour cabbage” in German). I didn’t realize _acetobacter_ was involved in the kraut making process (and other books I’ve consulted don’t seem to mention it at all–just _lactobaccilus_ and _pedioccocus_ as the primary microbes.) ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/45 "2011-03-25T05:43:01Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I’m not a big vinegar fan. My wife likes it, though. Then that’s good, because sauerkraut has no vinegar in it. You may not like the lactic acid from the fermentation, though. 🙂 Cabbage with vinegar is something different, sometimes called pickled cabbage. (_Rotkohl_ is a common German preparation made with red cabbage and vinegar). I love the stuff. I get it from my dad, who makes his own when he can get enough cheap cabbage. Most store-bought brands aren’t nearly sour enough for me, but some German brands are tolerable when mixed into a recipe. On edit: That article is the first mention I’ve ever heard of acetic acid being significant in sauerkraut. I’m wondering how accurate it is. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/46 "2011-03-25T05:51:03Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Then that’s good, because sauerkraut has no vinegar in it. It depends on the brand. [Vlasic](http://www.shopwell.com/vlasic-sauerkraut-old-fashioned/pickles-relish-olives/p/5410003000), for instance, has vinegar. ETA: Yeah, I’m wondering about the accuracy of the acetic acid, too, but, for all I know, they may purposely introduce acetobacter into their fermentation, but, as far as I know, it’s not usually desired in naturally fermented sauerkraut. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/47 "2011-03-25T06:34:18Z")
I love sauerkraut, and the Korean cousin kim chee. Love to eat it cold from the fridge straight out of the container by the heaping forkfulls. ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/48 "2011-03-25T09:42:44Z")
Love it. either in a sort of soup with patato and some kind of meat, which is called Jota. Or with mashed potatoes, peaces of bacon and Indonesian Sambal, this all accompanied by smoked sausage (rookworst in dutch), this we would call a stampot. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/49 "2011-03-25T10:39:10Z")
No ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/50 "2011-03-25T10:48:21Z")
I was born and raised in Germany and lived there all my life, so sauerkraut (with either [eisbein](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisbein) or [kassler](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassler)) was a staple of my mother’s cooking. Always hated the stuff. Just being remembered of its taste by this thread nearly makes me feel like throwing up. Disgusting. But I generally loathe the combination of sour and savory, e. g. I’ve always hated [sauerbraten](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerbraten) as well. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/51 "2011-03-25T11:32:38Z")
Rice and ground veal wrapped in sauerkrat leaves [File:Lahana sarma.png - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lahana_sarma.png) Very popular holiday dish. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/52 "2011-03-25T11:41:16Z")
Proper sauerkraut (or " zuurkool" in Dutch) has no vinegar added. It’s just fermented wite cabbage with a bit of salt that developed a bit of lactic acid in the fermenting process, giving it a mild fresh sour taste. Anyway, I often make a dish with sauerkraut that is bot vegetarian, refined, and keeps well. Boil potatoes. away from the fire, and mash them up with milk, butter, a packet of boiled sauerkraut, a teensy bit of mustard. And, here’s the secret: lots of tarragon. A very distinctive tasting herb. With the resulting mixture, cover half a wide flat over dish. Then cover the mixture with either slices of dried and soaked apricot, or banana (one or the other, not both), and slices of brie or camembert cheese. Or any mild cheese. Dust very very lightly with a bit of cinnamon. Cover up with the rest of the sauerkraut mix and cover with a sprinkling of cheese, breadcrumbs and a bit of butter, so as to make a nice crust in the oven. Even better when eaten the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Molotok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Molotok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molotok)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/53 "2011-03-25T11:43:21Z")
Sauerkraut with potato, sausage, bacon, onion and sugar, served with pork chops. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/54 "2011-03-25T11:49:57Z")
Dutch here. We have it too. Yum. Kind of like the OP, with potatoes and sausage. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/55 "2011-03-25T11:57:17Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Then cover the mixture with either slices of dried and soaked apricot, or banana (one or the other, not both), and slices of brie or camembert cheese. [slight hijack] Don’t want to derail the thread, but please allow me one question: Is the combination of fruits with spicy food a special Dutch thing? I find apricots or bananas in combination with sauerkraut and cheese at least, say, adventurous. But I remember my then girlfriend ordering a pizza with fruit toppings (oranges, strawberries, bananas) in a restaurant in Noord-Holland many moons ago, and I was startled by this combination then. [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/56 "2011-03-25T12:12:43Z")
> [@Aeris](#): > > My family has German and Polish heritage so we always had it on New Year’s Eve as part of our traditional meal. I would dread it all year long. Blech. Plus I’m from Pittsburgh where you are constantly surrounded by saurkraut. It’s everywhere! But I still didn’t love it. > > But then my Polish heritage fiance made it one night and I loved it! It was so buttery. I think that’s the key for me. I remember it being so bitter growing up. Of course this could also be explained by the fact that our tastes change as we grow up. Meh. Whatevs. I love it now. > > My favorite way is served with Kielbasa. Comfort food for a Pittsburgh girl. I have German on both sides of the family but not a lot of sauerkraut was eaten at the table during my growing-up years. Today from time to time I fix slow-baked smoked sausages on a bed of sauerkraut. I don’t like the overly-vinegary taste either, altho I love the vegetable, and always rinse the sauerkraut before adding it to the baking dish. The sausages help mitigate it further, but i’d like to find a way to kill it off more even before it bakes. I’m intrigued about the buttery flavor you mentioned. Any idea how he created the taste? ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/57 "2011-03-25T12:19:08Z")
I absolutely love it. My favorite way is to have it fried with some oil, chopped onions and garlic in pan. Add in a bayleaf, some pepper flakes and black pepper and it’s heaven. Also, like some have mentioned, it has no vinegar in it. Doesn’t matter if some “brands” have vinegar in it - _sauerkraut_ is not made with vinegar. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/58 "2011-03-25T13:29:47Z")
I didn’t like sauerkraut as a kid, but how I lurve it now. I’ll eat it cold, out of the jar, or any which way. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/59 "2011-03-25T13:45:43Z")
Because somebody had to say it at some point… “ALBUQUERQUE”, by Weird Al Yankovic. 'nuff said 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874/60 "2011-03-25T13:58:05Z")
I’m 1/4 German and 3/4 Slovak and I’m the shame of my family since I loathe saurkraut. Like others upthread, I can’t even stand the smell. Turns out that saurkraut is a big thing amongst my friends (really? we’re 30 and saurkraut is a “big thing”??) and I miss out on saurkraut week every year when the one girl’s grandpa makes it at home or something. When my roommate moved in (technically a tennant) he put this huge jar of kraut in the cuppboard and he said he loved kraut so much and I said sorry dude, no making of kraut here unless I’m not going to be home for 2 days. Seriously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-sauerkraut/575874.md?page=4)