Sour cabbage is known to have been eaten by Chinese laborers building the great wall over 2,000 years ago. It eventually found its way to Europe where it was adopted by the Germans and Alsatians. The first kraut description appears in "le tresor de santi" written in 1607, when it was described as shredded cabbage, packed in layers of salt and spices. Today the same technique is used with the combination of cabbage, salt, and spices allowing the mixture to ferment.