sauerkraut

Sauerkraut brings sharp, fermented cabbage to the table in a form that is ready to spoon beside sausage, pork, potatoes, or a Reuben-style sandwich. By our assessment, it is especially good at adding acidity and crunch without much work, which is why it stays useful in both old-school cooking and simple weeknight plates. The downside is equally clear: the sour, salty profile is the whole point, so it will never please people who want cabbage to stay sweet and mild. In practice it is a jarred or bagged staple that can be eaten cold, warmed through, or cooked longer into softer, deeper flavor. Compared with plain cabbage, it does the seasoning work for you. The Astrina catalogue files sauerkraut under Sauerkrauts, which fits a product that lives on fermentation first and everything else second.