The acid is mellow, light and refreshing, adopts natural bacteriostasis, and is rich in amino acids (amino acids: a general term for a class of organic compounds containing amino groups and carboxyl groups. It is an organic compound containing a basic amino group and an acidic carboxyl group. The amino group attached to the α-carbon is an α-amino acid. The amino acids that make up protein are all α-amino acids, dietary fiber and other nutrients. It contains no preservatives and pigments, and is a green and natural healthy food. Pickled sauerkraut makes fresh Chinese cabbage have a certain sour taste through certain processing methods. Some sauerkraut is delicious, while others are not. Why? The reason lies in the fragrance of sauerkraut, which is delicious because of its fragrance, not because of its acidity. Only pickled sauerkraut is delicious because of its fragrance, while the pickled sauerkraut is only sour and has no fragrance, so it is not delicious.
The "sour taste" in sauerkraut is that plant sugar in vegetables is naturally fermented and decomposed by plant enzymes, and most of it is converted into acidic substances (organic acids). Organic acids, alcohols and amino acids produced in the fermentation process of sauerkraut form the unique fresh and sour taste of sauerkraut. Organic acids refer to some acidic organic compounds that can react with alcohols to form esters. Lower esters are volatile liquids with fragrance, while higher esters are solid or very viscous liquids similar to beeswax. Several higher esters are the main components of fat. There are many kinds of amino acids, among which tryptophan can promote the production of gastric juice and pancreatic juice. Acids are nutrients, not living bacteria.
If the pickling process pollutes other miscellaneous bacteria, those miscellaneous bacteria can produce nitrite, and some can synthesize amine, and the two react to produce nitrosamine. Experiments have proved that nitrosamines can cause cancer. With the development of science and technology, the production technology of pickled sauerkraut has also undergone qualitative changes. The industrialized production of pickled cabbage adopts pure plant enzyme and temperature-controlled fermentation, which can inhibit the growth of miscellaneous bacteria, so it does not contain carcinogenic substance "nitrosamine" synthesized by miscellaneous bacteria.
Pickled sauerkraut retains the original vegetable nutrients to the maximum extent, and is rich in vitamin C, amino acids, organic acids, dietary fiber and other nutrients. Because pickled cabbage is stored in a clean and hygienic way and contains a lot of edible nutrients, the soaking process can produce natural plant enzymes, which can maintain the normal physiological function of gastrointestinal tract.