Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
SAUERKRAUT
SAUERKRAUT. Fermented foods have a long history in many cultures. Sauerkraut is one of the most well-known traditionally fermented moist cabbage side dishes. Although "sauerkraut" is a German word, the dish did not originate in Germany. Some claim that it was brought to Europe by the Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan. Others claim that it originally came from China and the surrounding areas to Europe by the Tatars, who improved upon the original Chinese recipe by fermenting it with salt instead of rice wine.
Before frozen foods, refrigeration, and cheap transport from warmer areas became readily available in northern, central and eastern Europe, sauerkraut – like other preserved foods – provided a source of nutrients during the winter. Captain James Cook always took a store of sauerkraut on his sea voyages, since experience had taught him it prevented scurvy.
The word "Kraut", derived from this food, is a derogatory term for the German people. During WORLD WAR I, due to concerns the American public would reject a product with a German name, American sauerkraut makers relabeled their product as "Liberty Cabbage" for the duration of the war.
In Dubuque, producers of sauerkraut included GERMANS, Mathias HAM, and George ZUMHOF
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Source:
"Sauerkraut," Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerkraut