Sauerkraut Piedmontese style

There are very few vegetables which manage to withstand the rigours of the harsh Alessandria winters like the common cabbage and its near relative the Savoy cabbage. They even survive the first snowfalls and it is easy, therefore, to understand why it is such a favourite winter dish, particularly in the northern countries where it is used as a side-dish to accompany pork dishes, roast goose and various sausages. In and around Alessandria, sancrò, which is merely a simplified and modified form of sauerkraut is usually prepared between November and February. Even the name sancrò derives from the locals’ difficulty in pronouncing sauerkraut correctly. Piedmont is no stranger to foreign cuisine. The most obvious examples came into being due to the centuries-long domination of the Savoyard Visconti family which ruled from Milan. Indeed, many elderly people refer to Savoy cabbage as “Milan cabbage”, because the first genetically modified versions came from the Lombard metropolis and its immediate surrounding area.