Sauerkraut is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid that forms when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage. It is therefore not to be confused with coleslaw, which receives its acidic taste from vinegar.

The word comes directly from the German language, which literally translates to sour cabbage. Sauerkraut is traditional in German, Austrian, Slovenian, Croatian (kiseli kupus), Slovak (kyslá kapusta), Polish (kiszona kapusta), Czech (kysané zelí), Dutch (zuurkool), Estonian (hapukapsas), Latvian (skābi kāposti), Lithuanian (rauginti kopūstai), Danish and Norwegian (surkål), Romanian (varza murata), Serbian, Bulgarian (кисело зеле kiselo zele), Russian (квашеная капуста), Ukrainian, Hungarian (savanyú káposzta), and Belarusian cuisines. It is also part of the native cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino (capuzi garbi and crauti) in Northern Italy, and Alsace Lorraine in North Eastern France (choucroute).

Finally, it is also popular in many parts of Northeast and Northern China, the USA, Chile (chucrut), and Canada. Sauerkraut is made by a process of pickling called lacto-fermentation that is analogous to how traditional (not heat-treated) pickled cucumbers are made. Fully-cured sauerkraut keeps for several months in an airtight container stored at or below 15°C (59°F).

Neither refrigeration nor pasteurization is required, although these treatments may prolong storage life. However, pasteurization will destroy all of the beneficial digestive enzymes and lactic acid bacteria, as well as the valuable vitamin C content, so it greatly diminishes the nutritional value without any significant benefit. No special culture of lactic acid bacteria is needed because these bacteria already are present on raw cabbage.

Yeasts also are present, and may yield soft sauerkraut of poor flavor when the fermentation temperature is too high. The fermentation process has three phases. In the first phase, anaerobic bacteria such as Klebsiella and Enterobacter lead the fermentation, and begin producing an acid environment that favours later bacteria.

The second phase starts as the acid levels become too high for many bacteria, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides and other Leuconostoc spp. take dominance. In the third phase, various Lactobacillus species including L.

brevis and L. plantarum ferment any remaining sugars, further lowering the pH.

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