Even though I was nervous, I promised myself that I would try any dish that my host mom makes. So, I prepared myself for the worst and I took a big bite. To my surprise and delight, it was delicious. I was so happy that I liked the dish that I ate two servings before the end of dinner. Yum!
This food is prepared by slicing cabbage into thin pieces, covering them with salt and letting the mixture ferment for two to three weeks. What's fermentation? Good question! It's when bacteria and other microscopic organisms eat up the sugar, adding a unique flavor to the food. Once it is ready, you can either store it in the fridge or cook it right away. When cooking, you mix it with a meat of your choice, white wine, onion, garlic and seasonings. If you prefer your cabbage crunchy, then you cook it for less time. If you like it to almost melt in your mouth, then you cook it longer. You then serve with meat, potatoes and mustard on the side.
This food is connected to the local environment in the fact that the cabbage is usually locally-grown. The cabbage is picked for this dish when it is large and ripe. Which means that if the cabbage is out of season, then you might not be able to find this dish.
