What is Sauerkraut?
Shredded cabbage that has been fermented in a salt brine. It can be flavored with seasonings such as caraway seeds and peppercorns. Sauerkraut has a sharp, salty taste and a tender, slighty chewy texture. It can be served as a topping for hot dogs and in Reuben sandwiches, or as an accompaniment to pork sausages or chops.
What does Sauerkraut Taste Like?
...Salty is one of the five main tastes. It has a satisfying and addictive quality with hints of sourness. Salty foods include cheeses, cured meats, chips, and olives. It is used in almost every dish and prepared food. Salt is added to enhance flavor and offer a distinctly salty taste.
...Sour is one of the five main tastes. It is tart and bright, sometimes with a mouth-puckering quality. Sour is a naturally occurring flavor found in many foods, including citrus, vinegar, various dairy products, and certain fruits. Sour is used to enhance a dish or drink and is used as both a main and complimentary flavor.
Ingredients
...Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable in the broccoli and brussel sprout family. It has many large, crunchy leaves layered tightly to form a round body, varying in size from an apple to a small soccer ball. Some newer varieties of cabbage have a conical shape. Cabbage is either light green, or dark purple. The flavor is mild, vaguely sulfurous, slightly sweet and vegetal. Cabbage is used across cuisines, both raw and cooked.
...Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
...Caraway seeds are tiny seeds with a thin, gently curved body and earthy brownish grey color. They are collected from the caraway plant that has many edible parts, including roots and leaves. These seeds have a flavor that is reminiscent of fennel and anise, though stronger and less sweet. They are commonly used in European and American breads and soups.
...The peppercorn plant grows in tropical climates and produces tiny black fruit. The fruit is dried and becomes hard. It has a flavor that is spicy, pungent and sharp. Pepper is an extremely popular spice, and lends a gentle heat to dishes. There are different varieties of black pepper and the flavor changes subtly because due to this.