Sauerkraut Rocks

Sure, sauerkraut doesn't enjoy a very high reputation, its image is far from glamorous and not so long ago it was considered food of the poor. Nowadays it's mostly connected with German and Austrian cuisine, but it’s a common item throughout Eastern and Central Europe. And naturally, as Zagreb was under the influence of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, it adopted lots of neighbouring traditions. Sauerkraut is basically just pickled cabbage. No great mystery behind it, it’s cut and left to ferment. It was the Chinese who picked up the trick and whom we can thank for this healthy incarnation of cabbage. The best kiseli kupus or kiselo zelje, as sauerkraut is known locally, comes from the towns of Ogulin and Varaždin, but it’s produced all over continental Croatia.

“Gnocchi and goulash with sauerkraut.” Image credit: Taste of Croatia

Back in the day it was normal for old folks to prepare sauerkraut at home, even if they were living in a high-rise flat, not in a house. You'd see big plastic containers with the precious preserved heads on people’s balconies. If your neighbours were one of these home producers, and there always was at least one, the smell of sauerkraut would linger around for days, but that’s just part of the local folklore. Today you buy vacuum sealed bags in supermarkets, or bulk sauerkraut (whole heads or already cut) at food markets, from local vendors. And that’s usually grannies from Zagreb surroundings who prepare it the old-school way, along with turnip kraut. In the indoor vegetable section of Dolac market, there’s a little corner for kraut-style foods that pops up in winter. So, why winter? Well, almost no veggies grow when it’s cold and snowy outside, and preserved foodstuffs kept our ancestors going in the winter. Sauerkraut’s long shelf life is its main advantage, and you don’t need a fridge for keeping it. Not to mention that it’s a natural treasure trove of vitamins. Just so you know, the leftover sauerkraut juice is one of the most efficient traditional cures for hangover.

“Beans and sauerkraut stew, winter comfort.” Image credit: Taste of Croatia

The easiest way to use sauerkraut in cooking is to sautee it and serve it with sausages (popular street food), or as side dish for pork chops, braised pork shank and similar heavier meat dishes. Seasoning it is almost unnecessary, but it likes the company of bay leaves, juniper berry, cumin, sweet paprika. Most often it’s used in rich winter stews, especially with beans. Grah sa zeljem (beans with sauerkraut stew) is surely the most common seasonal lunchtime dish, also the specialty of all mountain hut restaurants on Medvednica Mountain. Going hiking and not having a bowl of this typical stew when you reach the top is unthinkable. Another favourite wintertime dish based on sauerkraut is actually an import from the neighbouring Hungary - sekeli gulaš, or more precisely Szekely goulash. This thick stew made from diced pork (veal or beef are less common) and sauerkraut with onion, paprika and sour cream really made itself at home in Zagreb. However, the spotlight is always on sarma, the iconic holiday dish, especially popular on New Year’s Eve and the following days. It’s not native to Croatia and different versions are present all over the Balkan region. Croatian sarma means rolled sauerkraut leaves stuffed with minced pork with rice and then slowly cooked in sauce, usually served with mashed potatoes, but also good on its own. It gets tastier the longer it’s left, so mums usually make a gigantic pot full of sarma and the whole family just re-heats it for days. When Croatian families go abroad on skiing holidays in January, it’s not unusual to have a supply of sarma in the back of your car, although strict customs officers don’t always look benevolently on it.

“Potful of sarma.” Image credit: Taste of Croatia

One of sure signs that spring is coming, along with higher temperatures, longer days, early spring flowers, swallows returning and similar, is that all of a sudden you get fed up with dishes containing sauerkraut. Your body simply rejects them. But while winter is still here, you just can’t get enough of it, in all combinations.

Header image credit: Taste of Croatia

Author: Morana Zibar / Taste of Croatia