Sauerkraut

Brassica oleracea (fermented) · Vegetable

40 pairings

Sauerkraut is finely shredded white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) salted and packed tight so it ferments under its own brine. Lactic-acid bacteria turn it sour, tangy, briny and lightly fizzy while it keeps a firm, crunchy bite — a German and Central and Eastern European staple, the French choucroute, eaten with pork, sausage and rye, and prized as a source of vitamin C and live bacteria that helped keep sailors free of scurvy.

Picking a good onedrag

Crisp pale shreds, clean sour brineMould, ropy brine, rotten smell

Open in the fridgeSalty by design - about 940 mg sodium in a 142 g cup - and high enough in tyramine that MAOI diets restrict it. Otherwise fine. Keep the shreds under their brine.Everyday best

The packIn date; a live raw tub's lid domed a little

The shredsA shade darker at the top of the pack

Brine and liftBrine hazier, shreds bend before they snap

Smell on openingSharply sour and briny, a cheesy edge

What to look for, from crisp pale shreds, clean sour brine to mould, ropy brine, rotten smell.

Preparing