Name: 德國人被叫「德國佬」的真正原因…竟然是食物！ (Why are Germans called "Krauts" – and do they deserve it?)
Uploaded: 2025-10-16T21:01:20.000Z
Duration: 5 min 40 s

Did you know that this vegetable is why Germans are called Krauts in English slang?

你知道嗎，這種蔬菜就是德國佬（Kraut）這個英文俚語的由來。

But is sauerkraut really Germany's favorite dish?

但德國酸菜（sauerkraut）真的是德國人最愛的料理嗎？

(I really like it, but I only know it from my childhood.)

(I'm not crazy about it. I don't eat it often.)

(I think it's delicious. I like it and it's healthy, too.)

Next, we'll show you how sauerkraut is made, what it's eaten with,

接下來我們要教大家德國酸菜是怎麼做的，會搭配什麼一起吃，還有

and of course, how Germans came to be called Krauts.

當然，德國人又是怎麼被叫做德國佬（Kraut）的。

But first, let's head to Ditmarschen, near the North Sea coast in northern Germany.

不過，我們先到德國北部的 Ditmarschen，就在北海（North Sea）海岸附近。

On these 3,000 hectares, 90 million heads of white cabbage are grown a year.

在這 3,000 公頃（hectares）的土地上，一年會種出 9,000 萬顆大白菜（white cabbage）。

That's more cabbages than there are Germans.

White cabbage is traditionally important because it keeps so well.

大白菜（white cabbage）之所以傳統上很重要，是因為它非常耐儲存。

Many varieties can be stored until the next crop the following summer.

很多品種可以一直存到隔年夏天下一批收成。

Farmer Karsten Müller grows organic cabbage.

農夫 Carsten Mller 種植的是有機高麗菜（organic cabsk）。

(In the past, there was no need to transport it because everyone grew their own cabbage in their gardens.)

(Small towns were supplied from the surrounding area,)

(but these days cabbage is grown where it thrives best.)

(we are here in ditch Martian, the largest single cabbage growing region in Germany or even Europe.)

Nearby, at the Colosseum, you can see how the white cabbage becomes sauerkraut.

在附近的羅馬競技場（Colosseum），你可以看到大白菜（white cabbage）是如何變成德國酸菜（sauerkraut）的。

First, the stalk is removed and the cabbage is graded.

首先，把莖（stalk）去掉，然後把高麗菜（cabbage）。

德國酸菜（sauerkraut）是發酵（fermentation）的產物。

Around 2 kilograms for every 200 kilos of raw cabbage.

大約每 200 公斤（kilos）的生高麗菜（raw cabbage）需要 2 公斤（kg）。

The cabbage looks completely different after just 10 minutes in the mixer.

在高麗菜（cabbage）放進攪拌機（mixer）裡短短 10 分鐘後，看起來就完全不一樣了。

But don't think that the sauerkraut is ready yet.

但別以為德國酸菜（sauerkraut）就這樣做好了。

這時候它還只是鹽漬高麗菜（salted cabbage）。

Once it's packed into jars, the healthy lactic acid bacteria ferment the cabbage.

一旦裝進罐子（jars）裡，健康的乳酸菌（lactic acid bacteria）就會開始發酵高麗菜（cabbage）。

這段時間就是德國酸菜（sauerkraut）發酵的時候。

While the sauerkraut ferments, let's look back.

Sauerkraut played an important role for thousands of years.

幾千年來，德國酸菜（sauerkraut）扮演了重要的角色。

That's because it keeps well and is chock full of vitamin C.

因為它非常耐放，而且富含維他命C。

It protected sailors from scurvy and nourished soldiers in the first and second World Wars.

它保護了水手免於壞血病，也在第一次和第二次世界大戰時滋養了阿兵哥。

And this is when Germans were first nicknamed Krauts, especially by Americans.

這也是德國人，尤其是和美國人打仗時，第一次被美國人稱為Kraut（德國佬）的時候。

Wilken Boyer prefers to eat his sauerkraut raw.

Wilken Boyer 喜歡生吃他的德國酸菜（sauerkraut）。

But in restaurants, sauerkraut is normally served cooked.

但在餐廳裡，德國酸菜（sauerkraut）通常是煮熟後上桌。

Come with us to this Berlin restaurant where the sauerkraut arrives in huge cans.

跟我們一起到這家柏林的餐廳，這裡的德國酸菜（sauerkraut）是用超大的罐子裝的。

Every cook seasons their sauerkraut differently.

每位廚師調味德國酸菜的方式都不同。

It usually contains onion, fat, side bacon, allspice, bay leaf, caraway seeds and a little sugar.

通常會加入洋蔥、帶肥的培根、多香果、月桂葉、葛縷子和一點糖。

This gives the sauerkraut a hearty flavor.

Without all of this, they would hardly have any calories and would taste pretty sour.

如果沒有這些，它們的熱量會很低，而且味道會非常酸。

The sauerkraut here is served with potatoes and plenty of meat.

這裡的德國酸菜是搭配馬鈴薯和滿滿的肉一起上桌的。那德國人是怎麼想的呢？ 誰知道呢？ 也許德國人會重新燃起他們對德國酸菜的熱愛。 你呢？ 你喜歡嗎？ 

Maybe Germans will rekindle their love story with sauerkraut.