Sauerkraut History:
The origin of what we know as sauerkraut is disputed with some historians believing that it was first created by the laborers on the Great Wall of China who had mixed cabbage with rice wine. It was then carried east by the Tartars, eventually arriving in Europe in sometime during the 13th century. The other main theory is that fermented cabbage originated with the Romans. Cato the Elder first mentioned a fermented cabbage dish in his treatise On Agriculture around 160 BCE.
Sauerkraut arrived on the American continent in the 17th century with the Pennsylvania Dutch, who have a long tradition of eating sauerkraut with pork on January 1st to ensure good luck in the new year.
World War I Era News Stories:
Just after World War I began in Europe in 1914, American newspapers were abuzz when two secretly chartered ships, destined for an at-sea rendezvous with a German supply ship off the coast of South America, were detained in Philadelphia after the ship’s owners become suspicious when they smelled, and then discovered, seven barrels of sauerkraut among the supplies of water, coal and other food the Germans were trying to smuggle to their naval war ships.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/441490649/ The Buffalo Times (Buffalo, New York) · Sat, Jun 1, 1918 · Page 1 Downloaded on Mar 19, 2025
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1144195032/ Catholic Union and Times (Buffalo, New York) · Thu, Nov 14, 1918 · Page 1 Downloaded on Mar 19, 2025
Recipes:
A recipe for Moravian-style sauerkraut, similar to my mother’s recipe, is available on the Cook Like Czechs website at https://www.cooklikeczechs.com/vepro-knedlo-zelo/. The cover photo for this episode also comes from that webpage.
A small-batch recipe for making your own sauerkraut is available at Julia Skinner’s “A Vivid History of Sauerkraut: From East to West, A Long Culinary Tradition” at https://thecookscook.com/features/sauerkraut-from-east-to-west-a-long-culinary-tradition/
Inspired by the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival’s creative uses of kraut in recipes? Try Chef Andrew Zimmern’s recipe for homemade sausage and sauerkraut pizza at https://andrewzimmern.com/recipes/polish-sausage-sauerkraut-pizza/
Upcoming US Sauerkraut Festivals:
Ackley, Iowa’s Sauerkraut Days will be held June 5-7, 2025. See https://www.ackleyiachamber.com/sauerkraut-days or follow them on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064700645259
The Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, the largest in the country, will be held in Waynesville. Ohio, Oct 11-12, 2025. See https://sauerkrautfestival.waynesvilleohio.com/
The date for Providence, Utah’s Sauerkraut Day has not been set yet, though previous celebrations have been in mid-August. Check out their Facebook page for latest info: https://www.facebook.com/providencecitysauerkrautdays/
Lisbon, Iowa’s Sauerkraut Days will be held Aug 14-16, 2025. See https://www.sauerkrautdays.com/
Blairstown, Iowa’s Sauerkraut Days take place the last weekend of August. See https://www.btownkrautdays.com/
Henderson, Minnesota’s Sauerkraut Days are always held during the last week in June. See http://kraut.hendersonmn.com or check them out on Facebook
Wishek, North Dakota, will be celebrating their 100th Sauerkraut Days on October 10-12, 2025.
https://www.ndtourism.com/wishek/events/festivals-fairs/100th-annual-sauerkraut-day
Forreston, Illinois’s Kraut Days is held the first weekend in August. See https://krautdays.com/
