Best German Braised Cabbage Recipe – Oma’s Bavarian Weisskraut * (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Rotkohl and Blaukraut? ›

In Northern Germany, where I'm from, red cabbage is called Rotkohl. In Central and Western Germany it is called Rotkraut. And in Southern Germany it is called Blaukohl or Blaukraut, which translate to blue cabbage.

Sauerkraut (/ˈsaʊ. ərˌkraʊt/; German: [ˈzaʊ. ɐˌkʁaʊt], lit. 'sour cabbage') is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria.

Boiled Cabbage

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add cabbage. (It's OK to crowd the pot because the cabbage will shrink!) Step 2Boil until tender, about 5 minutes for shredded cabbage and 10 minutes for wedges.

The secret is to shred it quite finely and cook it briefly in rapidly boiling water. What I do is pack it down quite tightly into a saucepan, sprinkle with salt, then place the pan over a high heat, pour in boiling water from the kettle, which re-boils instantly, and time it for 3-5 minutes.

Sauerkraut is fermented shredded cabbage with a tangy, salty flavor. Despite the German name, it actually originated in China over 2,000 years ago.

red cabbage. Synonym. Rotkohl. (Translation of Blaukraut from the GLOBAL German–English Dictionary © 2018 K Dictionaries Ltd)

Cabbage is a common vegetable in German cuisine and is used in many dishes such as sauerkraut, red cabbage, and coleslaw. However, German cuisine is quite diverse, and there are many other ingredients that are commonly used in their dishes, such as meat, potatoes, and various herbs and spices.

China produces nearly half of the world's cabbage while Russia consumes the most per person. The average Russian eats about 44 pounds of cabbage a year. That compares to the 8.6 pounds eaten by Americans. Raw cabbage is rich in vitamin C.

What does sauerkraut mean? Sauerkraut is the German language equivalent of “sour cabbage.” In reality though, it can mean different things to different people. To busy home chefs, sauerkraut, or fermented cabbage, is a fast, easy way to liven up their families' favorite meals.

We wanted to find a method that would keep the cabbage from watering down the dressing and also a way to make the salad piquant without tasting too sharp. The solution: Some recipes call for soaking cabbage in ice water to make it crisp and plump.

Why is my cabbage still tough after cooking? ›

You're not cooking the right kind of cabbage

If you do want to cook it, add a touch of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to lessen the effect. The Savoy cabbage can be used as a substitute for green cabbage, just keep in mind that its leaves are a bit more tender than that of other cabbages.

Baking soda does help green vegetables retain color, but it causes undesirable color changes in red cabbage—it turned blue. The science can be distilled to this: Adding baking soda to cooking water makes it slightly alkaline, which stabilizes the green color of chlorophyll.

Wash and drain your cabbage leaves, getting rid of any tough stalks. Add to a large pan of salted boiling water, bring back to the boil then cook on a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain well in a colander and leave to cool. Carefully squeeze the cabbage leaves to get rid of any excess moisture.

Salting the cabbage, carrot, and onion purges excess moisture that would otherwise turn the slaw into a soupy mess. Including sugar (another osmosis-inducing ingredient) balances the flavor. Limiting the purge to five minutes keeps the cabbage crunchy.

Both "das Rotkraut" and "das Rotkohl" refer to red cabbage in German. The difference is mainly regional and depends on the area of Germany or Austria. "Rotkraut" is commonly used in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, while "Rotkohl" is more commonly used in northern Germany.

So, while red cabbage may taste sweeter due to the presence of anthocyanins, white or green cabbage has a stronger bitter taste due to higher levels of glucosinolates. The taste difference between these types of cabbage can also be influenced by factors such as growing conditions, variety, and cooking methods.

The thick white ribs and crinkly yellow-green leaves of napa cabbage are tender crisp, and have a sweet flavor that's more mellow than that of its pungent European cabbage cousins. Napa cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked.

Aside from the noticeable difference in color, red cabbage has an earthier taste and bulbs are smaller and denser. Green cabbage tends to turn sweeter when it cooks and a little bigger in size than the red. The leaves of the green are wide fan-like while of red are small fan-like. They both have crunchy texture.