Bear Creek, Wis. - Sauerkraut is growing in popularity as a hip recipe ingredient and keeps drawing interest from chefs and restaurants nationwide, food experts say.
New York magazine recently cited contemporary restaurant Fette Sau as a new place for hipsters to frequent. Sauerkraut is a Fette Sau menu item expected to attract true-blue barbecue lovers, the magazine said.
"Finding Sauerkraut on the menu today at your favorite trendsetting restaurant is not unusual," said Ryan Downs, co-owner of Great Lakes Kraut Co., the world's largest Sauerkraut manufacturer. "It's common to find it in both sandwich and dinner menu items."
Thanks to recent, well-publicized scientific studies on the health benefits of Sauerkraut - and its chemical compounds that help defend against cancer - fermented cabbage has enjoyed rising popularity among chefs at trendy restaurants across the nation.
Sauerkraut-related health stories - like research by Michigan State University and the University of New Mexico highlighting Sauerkraut's effects on breast cancer risk - have encouraged chefs and restaurants to use Sauerkraut, said Jonathan Locke, a chef and co-founder of restaurant consulting firm FoodSense. That includes "those who were familiar with it and had forgotten about it, as well as consumers in general," he said. "It's got a lot of potential that is waiting to be tapped."
SAUERKRAUT SPAGHETTI SALAD
½ lb. raw spaghetti cut into 2-inch pieces
4 cups Silver Floss® or Krrrrisp Kraut® Sauerkraut, drained and lightly rinsed
½ cup green bell peppers, thinly julienned
¼ cup pimentos, diced
1 cup carrots, peeled and grated
1½ Tbsp. parsley, chopped
Dressing:
3 oz. cider vinegar
3 oz. vegetable oil
3 oz. water
3 oz. sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until tender (about 12 minutes). Drain but do not rinse; let cool. In mixing bowl combine spaghetti, Sauerkraut, green peppers, pimentos, carrots, and parsley.
For the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl or blender and whisk or blend together. Toss salad ingredients with dressing and serve immediately or refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.
Servings: 8-10
