Introducing a new (spicy) sauerkraut - ginger, carrot and turmeric
I have recently added a new flavour of sauerkraut to my range: fresh ginger, carrot and turmeric. In addition to their numerous health benefits, ginger and turmeric both add much flavour and a touch of spiciness (without being overpowering).
I will continue making and selling plain sauerkraut (using cabbage as the only vegetable).
My home-made sauerkraut is totally unheated (raw) and retails for $27/600g tub. It lasts for months in the fridge. Consume 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons with each meal.
What's so good about sauerkraut? It's an easy and highly palatable way to get cultured foods into your body. Cultured (or lacto-fermented foods) like sauerkraut are high in beneficial bacterial and enzymes which aid in establishing healthy gut flora – essential for healthy digestion, strong immunity, weight range, metabolism, stable mood and brain function. Home-made fermented foods have served traditional cultures for millennia. For more information on the benefits of lacto-fermented foods refer to one my earlier blogs here.
In a recent small pilot study, it was shown that consuming sauerkraut appears to have a protective effect on blood cells when consuming unmarinated pork at the same time. You might recall that in a previous blog post that I wrote some time ago a study showed through live blood analysis how the consumption of unmarinated pork can have a coagulating effect on blood cells leading to brain fog, sleepiness and lethargy (which is why pork is traditionally cured - as in bacon - or marinated in an acidic medium prior to cooking). This new follow up pilot study showed that if sauerkraut is consumed when eating unmarinated pork sausage there was no coagulating effect on blood cells. I find this fascinating. This might be why sauerkraut is traditionally consumed with pork sausage in Northern Germany and Poland. Yet another reason to eat a small amount of sauerkraut with your (pork) meals. I know that after I wrote that previous blog some people wrote to me confirming that they felt tired or sleepy after consuming pork that was not cured or marinated. I wonder if those people would feel the same way if they ate some sauerkraut with their pork? It would be an interesting experiement.