Jota (Sauerkraut Stew) / Slovenia

What kind of dish is this?

This is a Slovenian dish made with sauerkraut, beans and pork etc.
It is eaten not only in Slovenia but also in northwestern Croatia and northeastern Italy.

Name

Jota＝Derived from the Galician word for soup.

History

This is a dish born near the border between Slovenia and Italy.
It is unknown when it has been, but vegetable soups have been around since ancient times around the world.
I wrote how it evolved with the times based on the history of ingredients.

The following has been added to the stewed dishes that may have existed originally.
・In the 15th century, Sauerkraut was introduced by what is now a German immigrant.
・After that, potatoes, kidney beans and tomatoes (optional) from the Americas were added.
・In the 19th century, pork of the breed born in the United Kingdom became popular in European countries.

Considering the situation and food culture, it is highly likely that almost the same thing as modern Jota was born when ingredients coming from the Americas were added.
Also, if new breeds of pork were also incorporated in Slovenia, the appearance and taste of Jota were almost the same as those of modern Jota, probably in the 19th century.

Thoughts

This dish has a sauerkraut sourness and a natural taste.
It is basically a winter dish, but in the summer it is often eaten after cooling down.
I liked something a little cold.
Also, it has excellent compatibility with bread, especially hard bread.
I didn’t use it this time, but it would be delicious with some kind of spices added to it.

Recipe of Jota

Local Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Soup / Stew

Cuisine Slovenian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

No.1

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion / chopped
• 250 g bacon / cut into easy-to-eat size

No.2

• 15 g garlic / grated
• 3 potato / dice
• 400 g sauerkraut / washed
• 10 g consomme cube
• 2 tbsp tomato paste / optional
• 1000 ml water
• 1 laurel leaves

No.3

• 1 canned beans / cooked / washed

No.4

• Free salt
• Free pepper
• Free dill / optional

Instructions

 

• Fry onion and bacon in olive oil.

  Until the color of the onion changes a little.
• Add garlic, potatoes, sauerkraut, consommé cubes, tomato paste, water and laurel leaves.
• Add beans.

  Cover.

  cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.

  Finish

Notes

・Instead of bacon, ham, sausage, pork may be used.

・Instead of sauerkraut, a sour turnip may be used.

・You can thicken with flour or mash potatoes if you like.

・Ingredients change according to area and home. Some places eat with polenta instead of bread.

Keyword pork, vegetables