From the earliest times lactic acid fermentation has played an important role in the history of mankind because of its health giving and preservative qualities. Archeological finds have shown that even during the hunter/gatherer stage of our development, people fermented a plant similar to the cabbage.
The Chinese fermented their cabbage in rice wine as long as 2000 years ago, during the construction of the great wall. 1000 years later Genghis Khan, during one of his many raids into China, stole the recipe and in time brought it with him to Europe.
Emperor Tiberius carried barrels of sauerkraut on his extended journeys in the Middle East. The sauerkraut protected him and his men from intestinal infections.
The first instructions on fermentation were written by the roman scholar Pliny in 50 A.D.
The Germans learned to omit the wine and ferment cabbage using only salt. They are responsible for the name "sauerkraut” which literally translates into English as "sour cabbage”.
In medieval Europe, lactic acid fermented foods were an essential part of the daily meal.
Captain Cook sailed around the world in the 18th century without losing a single man to scurvy during his 3 year voyage. For this he received the Copley Medal, the highest scientific distinction of his time. He began a new era in navigation by introducing sauerkraut into the seafaring diet.
Eventually sauerkraut was introduced into North America by German immigrants, making sauerkraut a cornerstone in traditional cuisine.
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