Fried spaetzle with honey-mustard sauerkraut and crispy bacon

Until the establishment of newer preservation methods, sauerkraut was one of the main processed ingredients in Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland during the winter. It also found its way into Jewish cuisine. Sauerkraut is eaten in large quantities, especially in Eastern European countries. Due to its high vitamin content (especially vitamin C), it helped prevent deficiencies during the winter. Therefore, it was also used year-round as provisions on ships after it was discovered in the 18th century that consuming sauerkraut prevented scurvy.

Preserving vegetables through lactic acid fermentation is a very old technique practiced in various parts of the world. White cabbage fermented in this way was known in ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, as well as in China.

Kimchi, the Korean version of sauerkraut, originated as early as the 7th century. It differs from European sauerkraut, which is called "Togil Kimchi" there, through the use of Chinese cabbage and other Asian ingredients.

Spätzle is the Swabian diminutive form of Spatz and likely refers to a sparrow. Spätzle and Knöpfle have a centuries-old tradition of production in the Swabian region and are of great importance to Swabian cuisine.