Sauerkraut (sour cabbage)

Sauerkraut, a healthy food produced by fermenting salted cabbage in large vats, has a long tradition of use in cultures around the world.. Put the pickled cabbage, along with dill, lovage, cumin seeds and fruits of juniper and some rice and soy. This recipe was used in China a thousand years ago. The building of the Great Wall of China was possible due to sauerkraut, a staple food to feed slaves. Chinese doctors recommended that workers be fed daily with sauerkraut. The chinese recipe was taken by the peoples of Russia. The British fleet captain, James Cook, introduced sauerkraut on the menu of his sailors, rescuing them of vitamin deficiency.

Sauerkraut is almost synonymous with being German and is strongly identified with German culture. The name Sauerkraut is derived from two German words, “Sauer” which is translated as sour English and “kraut”, the German word for cabbage - the vegetable that is used in making it. Thus, in English it can be translated as sour cabbage.

Sauerkraut contains vitamins, trace elements and mineral salts, ascorbic acid, vitamin C, magnesium. Dietologie specialists believe that for some patients sauerkraut is more useful than the fresh cabbage because lactic acid inhibits produced in a fermentation process enriched with vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9.

The magical propreietes of sauerkraut:

- Lactic acid inhibits putrefying bacteria in the intestinal tract and promotes the proliferation of healthy flora;

- Sauerkraut is a very good detoxified. Some diseases of liver, kidney and musculoskeletal system can be fixed with the consumption of sauerkraut as a detoxifying;

- To people with asthma is recommended daily consumption of sauerkraut salads;

- The researchers noted the abundance of anti-oxidants, which are free radical scavengers useful in offsetting cellular damage that can lead to cancer. Sauerkraut contains large amounts of specific antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin; these compounds are proven preservers of ocular health in humans;

- Sauerkraut juice is also credited with high medical qualities; its consumption is recommended for flu prevention, as a gastroregulator for a variety of gastrointestinal conditions, from diarrhea to constipation, ulcers, bronchitis and various other digestive and respiratory diseases and disordes, anemia;

- Some research suggest that it may even be an aphrodisiac;

- There is no requirement to consume large amounts of sauerkraut to gain health. Eating just a few tablespoons of the pickled cabbage on a daily basis will suffice for most people;

- It is quite easy to prepare sauerkraut at home. The traditional German sauerkraut is made from shredded raw cabbage, good quality fresh cabbages are ideal in preparing the sauerkraut. To make the traditional sauerkraut, good quality raw cabbages can be shredded and then mashed. Once this is done, the mashed pulp of the shredded cabbage and the juice should be salted with the addition of water, a glass canning jar can then be used to pack this mixture for the process of fermentation to occur. The mixture in the glass jar must then be left to stand at room temperature for several days, this time period is necessary to let bacteria initiate the process of fermentation. In several days, the sauerkraut will be ready to eat.