sauerkraut

American  

[souuhr-krout, sou-er-] / ˈsaʊərˌkraʊt, ˈsaʊ ər- /

noun

1. cabbage cut fine, salted, and allowed to ferment until sour.

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sauerkraut British  

/ ˈsaʊəˌkraʊt /

noun

1. finely shredded and pickled cabbage

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sauerkraut

Vance has stayed committed to the diet, often eating eggs, sauerkraut, pickles, blackberries and raspberries for lunch, and beef or lamb with sauerkraut for dinner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Cheryl Hines, Kennedy’s wife, said last year that Kennedy wakes up at 6:30 every morning to cook steak and eat sauerkraut.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

The diet is the brainchild of Dr. Sean O’Mara, who advises his high-profile patients to eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, alongside grass-fed steak—and to abstain from alcohol and sugary food.

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

But the night before the first performance—there are to be three—Cordelia notices that the cabbage is going bad, it’s getting soft and squooshy and smells like sauerkraut.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood