Recipe Manuscript

Roter Kohl Oder Rappes

Name: Roter Kohl Oder Rappes
Prep time: PTPT25M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 kg red cabbage (or white cabbage, see below); 40–60 ml vinegar (preferably mild, e.g. red wine vinegar for red cabbage; white for white cabbage); 50 g goose fat, duck fat, pork fat, or mix of suet and butter; 30 g raisins (about a small handful); 2 medium tart apples (e.g. Granny Smith), chopped — omit for white cabbage; 4–6 small onions; 15 g sugar (about 1 tablespoon); Salt, to taste; 1 tablespoon flour; 80 ml dry red wine (or white wine for white cabbage); 2–3 tablespoons blackcurrant juice (optional, to taste); Additional apples, quartered, for garnish; Potatoes (for serving — roast or boiled are both suitable) Substitutes: If animal fat is unavailable, use 50 g butter or neutral vegetable oil.

"Red Cabbage Or Rappes"

1897

From the treasured pages of Henriette Davidis praktisches kochbuch für die gewöhnliche und feinere küche

Written by Henriette Davidis

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch Other

Original Recipe • 1897

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Roter Kohl Oder Rappes

"Roter Sommerkohl iſt dem Winterkohl vorzuziehen, letzterer hat einen ſtärkeren Geſchmack und bedarf eines noch einmal ſo langen Kochens. Beim Vorrichten ſchneide man den Kopf in der Mitte durch, entferne die äußeren gröberen Blätter und ſtärkſten Blattrippen und ſchabe oder ſchneide ihn in ſeine, möglichſt lange Streifchen. Um ihm ſeine blähende Eigenſchaft zu nehmen, koche man ihn ab, und vermiſche ihn nach dem Abtropfen mit ſoviel Eſſig, daß er eine glänzend rote Farbe erhält. Dann bringe man Waſſer mit Gänſe=, Enten= oder Schweinefett, oder halb Nieren= fett halb Butter zum Kochen, füge einige Weinbeeren, zwei zerſchnittene ſaure Äpfel, mehrere kleine Zwiebeln, etwas Zucker und wenig Salz hinzu und koche hierin den Kohl — am beſten im Bunzlauer Geſchirr — weich. Kurz vor dem Anrichten ſtäubt man etwas Mehl über, fügt noch ein Gläßchen Rotwein und, wo es geliebt wird, einige Löffel Johannisbeerſaft hinzu, dünſtet Apfelviertel auf dem Kohl weich und richtet ihn mit dieſen verziert, zierlich an. — Bei dem auf dieſe Weiſe bereiteten Kohl iſt ein weiterer Zuſatz von Eſſig nicht nötig, er iſt für den feinen Geſchmack hinreichend ſauer und bekommt weit beſſer, als hätte er durch Eſſig einen ſcharfen ſäuerlichen Geſchmack bekommen. Am beſten gibt man kleine gebratene Kartoffeln dazu, doch können bei mangelnder Zeit auch Salzkartoffeln dazu gereicht werden. Auch weißen Kohl kann man ebenſo zubereiten, doch nimmt man dann ſtatt Rotwein Weißwein und läßt zuletzt die Äpfel fehlen; ebenſo wird beim Weißkohl oft ein ſauererer Geſchmack vorgezogen, den man durch Zuſatz von Eſſig und Zitronenſäure erreicht. Beilagen: Frikandellen, Ochſenzunge, Friſandellen, Sauciffen oder Bratwurst, Nollen, Schweinsbraten, Haſenbraten, Gänſebraten, Ente, Sauerbraten, gefüllte Schweinsrippe."

English Translation

"Summer red cabbage is preferable to winter cabbage; the latter has a stronger taste and requires cooking for twice as long. To prepare, cut the head in half, remove the outer, coarser leaves and the thickest leaf veins, and scrape or cut it into strips as long as possible. To reduce its tendency to cause bloating, blanch it, then mix it after draining with enough vinegar to give it a shiny red color. Then bring water with goose, duck, or pork fat, or half kidney fat and half butter to a boil, add some raisins, two chopped tart apples, several small onions, a little sugar, and a little salt, and cook the cabbage in this—best in Bunzlau stoneware—until tender. Shortly before serving, sprinkle a little flour over it, add a small glass of red wine and, if desired, a few spoonfuls of currant juice, steam apple quarters on top of the cabbage until soft, and arrange it nicely garnished with these. — With cabbage prepared in this way, no further addition of vinegar is needed; it is sufficiently tart for refined tastes and turns out much better than if it had acquired a harsh sour taste from vinegar. The best side dish is small fried potatoes, but if pressed for time, boiled potatoes may also be served. White cabbage can be prepared in the same way, but use white wine instead of red wine and omit the apples at the end; for white cabbage, a more sour taste is often preferred, which can be achieved by adding vinegar and citric acid. Side dishes: fricandeau, ox tongue, fricandelles, sausages, meatballs, roast pork, roast hare, roast goose, duck, sauerbraten, stuffed pork ribs."

Note on the Original Text

Henriette Davidis wrote in deliberate, formal German, reflecting the precision of professional cookery in her time. Her recipes do not list precise quantities; instead, they expect the cook to adjust based on taste and experience, emphasizing process over measurement. The language employs Fraktur script, and some archaic spellings (such as "ſtärkſten" for "stärksten"). Household fats and the choice between summer and winter cabbage highlight seasonality and resourcefulness. Modern cooks benefit from explicit quantities and simplified sequencing.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Henriette Davidis praktisches kochbuch für die gewöhnliche und feinere küche - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Henriette Davidis praktisches kochbuch für die gewöhnliche und feinere küche (1897)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Henriette Davidis

Era

1897

Publisher

C.N. Caspar

Background

A beloved staple in German kitchens, this practical cookbook by Henriette Davidis serves up a rich array of recipes ranging from everyday fare to refined culinary delights. Immerse yourself in traditional techniques and timeless flavors, all artfully presented for both the ordinary and ambitious cook.

Kindly made available by

Internet Archive

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from Henriette Davidis' influential 19th-century cookbook, a household staple in German-speaking territories and among German-American immigrants. Published in 1897 in Milwaukee, this edition reflects both old-world practice and access to New World ingredients. "Roter Kohl oder Rappes" is a classic braised red cabbage dish, beloved as an autumn or winter accompaniment to hearty meats. The method captures the transition from traditional German peasant cookery—using fats from home-reared poultry and pork—to a more refined, city style with subtle sweet-and-sour flavors. Davidis' work aimed to demystify fine cooking for the aspiring middle-class homemaker, with careful advice on technique. This recipe’s blend of fruit, fat, and wine is emblematic of Central European festive tables and remains iconic in contemporary holiday meals.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 19th-century German kitchen, cooks relied on hefty, fireproof earthenware pots—often Bunzlauer (Bunzlau) ware from Silesia—for slow braising. Wood or coal-fired ranges provided gentle heat needed for lengthy simmering. Cabbage would be shredded with a large knife or a hand-held mandoline. All mixing and garnishing happened by hand, with wooden spoons, and apples were peeled and cut with simple paring knives. The final garnish might be attractively arranged on a large oval serving platter.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

2 lbs red cabbage (or white cabbage, see below)
2 1/2–4 tablespoons vinegar (preferably mild, e.g. red wine vinegar for red cabbage; white for white cabbage)
1.75 oz goose fat, duck fat, pork fat, or mix of suet and butter
1 oz raisins (about a small handful)
2 medium tart apples (e.g. Granny Smith), chopped — omit for white cabbage
4–6 small onions
0.5 oz sugar (about 1 tablespoon)
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon flour
2.75 fl oz dry red wine (or white wine for white cabbage)
2–3 tablespoons blackcurrant juice (optional, to taste)
Additional apples, quartered, for garnish
Potatoes (for serving — roast or boiled are both suitable) Substitutes: If animal fat is unavailable, use 1.75 oz butter or neutral vegetable oil.

Instructions

Begin by selecting red cabbage, preferably summer cabbage for its milder flavor.
Slice the cabbage head in half, remove tough outer leaves and thick ribs, then finely shred into the longest possible strips.
To reduce gassiness, blanch the cabbage briefly in boiling water, then drain well.
Combine with enough vinegar (about 2 1/2–4 tablespoons for 2 lbs cabbage) to impart a bright red sheen.
In a large heavy pot (traditionally Bunzlauer pottery, but any heavy Dutch oven will do), heat 1.75 oz goose, duck, or pork fat, or a mix of suet and butter.
Add a small handful of raisins, two chopped tart apples, 4–6 small onions (peeled), a tablespoon of sugar, and a generous pinch of salt.
Add the cabbage and stew gently until very tender, about 1 hour.
Near the end, sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour, stir through, and add a small glass (about 2.75 fl oz) of red wine.
For extra flavor, stir in 2–3 tablespoons of blackcurrant juice if desired.
Quarter some apples, place on top, and simmer until soft for a decorative finish.
Serve warm, ideally with small roast potatoes, though boiled potatoes are an acceptable shortcut.
To prepare with white cabbage, substitute white wine for red, omit the apples, and accent with additional vinegar and a little citric acid if a sharper taste is preferred.

Estimated Calories

200 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the cabbage, apples, and onions takes about 20–30 minutes. Cooking the dish gently on the stove takes about 1 hour. Each serving has about 200 calories. The recipe yields 6 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.