Curtido, curtido!
The man at the Bushel & Peck booth at the Lincoln Park Farmers Market explained that curtido is an El Salvadoran slaw, somewhat similar to sauerkraut because it is made primarily from fermented cabbage. Along with cabbage, it contains carrots, onion, garlic, jalapeños, and oregano. The resulting slaw is lightly fermented, a bit salty, and a little tangy.
Time for a little etymology from this word nerd. The word curtido comes from the Spanish verb curtir, which means to tan (as in an animal hide), cure, pickle, or ferment. The verb ultimately traces back to the Latin conterere, meaning “to grind” or “to bruise.” Over time, it evolved to describe the preservation of food through pickling or fermentation in an acidic liquid, such as vinegar, or in a salt brine.
As far as fermented cabbage dishes go, I’ve tried sauerkraut and kimchi. Kimchi has been the spiciest, while sauerkraut tastes the most like cabbage. Curtido has the freshest flavor of the three. Maybe it’s the oregano that lends the subtle herbal note. At the moment, curtido is my favorite. This newly discovered food has also sent me down a new culinary rabbit hole: exploring fermented cabbage dishes from other cultures.
Have you made sauerkraut? It is not hard to do. I have my first batch of sour dill pickles working away on the kitchen counter.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting process that I've never tried.
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