Curtido Recipe (Salvadoran Cabbage Slaw) (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between curtido and sauerkraut? ›

Curtido, curtido! It's an El Salvadoran slaw, similar to sauerkraut in that it is made primarily from fermented cabbage. It's so dang tasty. Aside from the cabbage, it's made with carrots, onion, garlic, and oregano, and is a traditional accompaniment to pupusas.

Fermented foods like curtido have a myriad of health benefits. By helping to maintain healthy gut flora, probiotics in fermented foods aid digestion and may even help certain digestive disorders like IBS and GERD.

Texture. Coleslaw is traditionally made with finely shredded cabbage, resulting in a softer and more delicate texture. Slaw, on the other hand, can have varying textures depending on the vegetables used and how they are prepared (e.g., shredded, grated, or julienned).

Curtido is a Salvadoran cabbage slaw or relish made with finely shredded cabbage, red onion, carrot, oregano, and vinegar. This is a must-try, authentic Salvadorian recipe. In Central America, curtido is often served with pupusas (corn cakes) and salsa roja.

In El Salvador and other areas of Central America, curtido, a type of fermented slaw, is one of those condiments that tastes great on its own but even better when paired together with another delicious food... namely pupusas.

Danish Ballhead, Late Flat Head and Premium Late Dutch are good cabbage varieties for sauerkraut. Krautman is one of the most popular varieties for making sauerkraut, and growers are encouraged to try new varieties as well.

If you're planning on keeping your curtido around, be sure to give it a stir every few days just to redistribute flavors. Curtido is delicious after a few weeks, but you shouldn't keep any leftovers in your fridge for longer than one month.

The salty brine becomes tangier as it sits, meaning you may not need to add the vinegar. Traditionally, curtido is served with Pupusas and pairs well with Salvadoran Salsa Roja, but it is also excellent used alongside grilled meats and heavier mains, or any time you want a bright and pickle-y topping.

Fresh ingredients are key to a good slaw, and KFC does alright for a fast food restaurant. You won't find any wilted cabbage pieces, and the carrots are nice and hard as well. What's more, KFC finely dices everything so you don't have to chew that much, and all the flavors and textures blend perfectly.

The fast food chain was forced to stop selling its coleslaw tubs when a supply issue meant the slaw would have to be served up without the dressing. “We are currently experiencing a supply issue with our KFC coleslaw dressing,” a KFC spokesperson said. The slaw is made up of cabbage and carrots coated in mayonnaise.

What shreds cabbage to make coleslaw? ›

Shred cabbage with a box grater

(We like these flexible chopping mats that make pouring cabbage into a pot or bowl easy.) Then, hold the flat side of the cabbage head against the largest holes on the box grater and slide the cabbage down over the holes. Repeat until the cabbage is shredded.

El Salvador's most notable dish is the pupusa, a thick handmade, tortilla-like corn flour or rice flour flatbread stuffed with cheese, chicharrón (cooked pork meat ground to a paste consistency), refried beans or loroco (a vine flower bud native to Central America).

But the pupusa also has a deep cultural significance. Pupusas are family meals, Sunday dinners, and, importantly, the taste of home. Just as the indigenous people used corn tortillas to sustain themselves on their travels, many Salvadorans today seek refuge in pupusas when they are outside of El Salvador.

How to make Curtido – A fermented Salvadoran Slaw (similar to sauerkraut) made with cabbage, carrots, onion and oregano. Simple to make and FULL of healthy probiotics – use curtido in tacos, with pupusas, quesadillas, burrito bowls or with enchiladas as a delicious healthy side!

That's right, there are two types of sauerkraut. The first is the canned shelf-stable kind usually has sugar and is really pickled cabbage. The second is lacto-fermented sauerkraut or cabbage that has been fermented at room temperature with salt until it creates the perfect “sour” flavor.

Curtido, translated to English, literally means tanned or weather-beaten. Interestingly, the process required to make Curtido involves beating the Salvadoran cabbage to release the juices. What is this? Curtido is not the same as sauerkraut. It is more similar to a cabbage slaw.

No. Although the flavours can be similar, pickled cabbage is created by adding vinegar, whereas sauerkraut is made through fermentation, resulting in a more nutritious food.