sauerkraut
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of sauerkraut
1610–20; < German, equivalent to sauer sour + Kraut greens
Explanation
Sauerkraut is pickled or fermented cabbage that has a distinctive sour flavor. If you see someone spooning something pale yellow from a jar onto their hot dog, chances are that is sauerkraut. You may have eaten sauerkraut on a hot dog or in a Reuben sandwich. It's also common in German, Czech, Polish, and French dishes, and in slightly different forms sauerkraut shows up in the cuisines of many other countries and regions. Sauerkraut is preserved and fermented by specific lactic acid bacteria that contribute to its sour taste. In German, Sauerkraut means "sour cabbage" or "sour vegetable."
Vocabulary lists containing sauerkraut
World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lutnick has started to make fermented vegetables at home in lieu of eating store-bought sauerkraut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
“And he’ll hand me a bag of sauerkraut and say, ‘Can you put this in your bag?’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Kennedy often travels with a stash of sauerkraut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Kennedy’s version is a bit different since he also eats fermented foods like sauerkraut.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
I ordered brat- wurst and sauerkraut and distinctly saw the cook unwrap a sausage from a cellophane slip cover and drop it in boiling water.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
