Is there much else to expect from a condiment that has been around for centuries?
In our last blog we looked into the history of sauerkraut to discover its surprising origins - which you should definitely read first. This humble condiment has predated the Great Wall of China, and it’s a fairly simple concept of cabbages and salt, so is there much else to expect in its future?
We’re not trying to be biased here, but we couldn’t be more excited to see the future of sauerkraut unfold. Already sauerkraut has come a long way from its humble beginnings, and although the simple idea of cabbage and salt remains, the flavours and textures out there today far outstrip what your grandma would’ve been able to find on the grocery shelves when she was your age. Although adding different spices and herbs to sauerkraut has been around since its beginning, the commercialisation of this hasn’t been widely available until recently.
This means that unless you were going to make it yourself, your only option is what we call our ‘Naked Kraut’ aka just plain ol’ cabbage and salt. Already this is such a shift in the history of sauerkraut meaning that this dish has become popularised again in many households. Although it’s not as common as it once was, the increase in demand and supply of sauerkraut in even just the past 5 years has indicated that people are hungry for more.
Suddenly there are more people sharing recipes of their unique kraut flavours across the internet, and more and more flavours are popping up in the refrigerated section of your supermarkets. It’s an exciting time to be in an industry knowing that creativity and Kiwi ingenuity can go a big way.
Sauerkraut may be centuries old, but it turns out you can teach an old kraut new tricks, and that’s why we couldn’t be more excited about the future of sauerkraut. What are your favorite ways to ferment?