The Captain’s Log

Toplevel | Pontifications of The Great and Terrible Captain Cucamunga.

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:09:33 EDT

Sauerkraut

The noun sauerkraut is borrowed from German. Sauerkraut names fermented (sour) cabbage. The kraut in sauerkraut is the general term for an herb, which is to say the edible part of a plant not including the root, fruit, or seeds.

Kohl means cabbage in German. Figuratively, kohl means nonsense or bunkum. The more specific Sauerkohl is a less common synonym for sauerkraut.