Tullnerfelder Kraut

 
Record Number: 132
 
Disclosure Date
The first written record of cabbage from the Tullnerfeld Plain dates to 1832 in “Beiträge zur Landeskunde Oesterreich’s unter der Enns” (“Contributions to Austrian Culture and Society South of the Enns”), edited by the Verein für Vaterländische Geschichte, Statistik und Topographie (Society for National History, Statistics and Topography).   
 

Photo: BMLFUW/A...

Title
Tullnerfelder Kraut
(Tullnerfeld cabbage)  
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract or claim
Traditional breeding and cultivation of a local variety of white cabbage (sauerkraut cabbage) in the Tullnerfeld Plain Region, Lower Austria.Tullnerfelder Kraut is characterised by its distinctive taste, which is directly related to the climate and the especially fertile soils of the region.  
 
Name of product, Product class
cabbage, vegetables  
 
Name of region
Tullnerfeld Plain, Lower Austria, Austria  
 
Field of search
Food and agriculture
 
Name of information provider
Franz Mitterhofer  
 
Name of applicant for title
--- 
 
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
Farmers in the Tullnerfeld Plain Region  
 
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
---  
 
Descriptors
- History:
Cabbage was already known in the ancient world to the Greeks, Romans and Celts and originates from the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. Cabbage has a long history: the Greek philosophers Diogenes and Aristippos of Cyrene (435 - 355 BC) argued about whether it was better to demean oneself in the service of a tyrant’s court or to submit to washing cabbage.
 
The numerous varieties of cabbage known to us today evolved from the original wild variety (Brassica oleracea) through a process of natural isolation, spontaneous mutation and selection. Eudemus of Rhodes (370 - 300 BC) already distinguished between three types of cabbage. The characteristic cabbage head known to us today probably dates back to the early Middle Ages.
 
As a winter vegetable, cabbage played an essential role in the survival of a rural society over the centuries. The white cabbage cultivated on the farmers’ cabbage fields was either turned into sauerkraut through lactic fermentation in the cabbage pits of the farms of the region or was preserved traditionally as pit cabbage for one’s own use.
 
The cultivation of field vegetables developed into a line of business in the rural areas around big towns. This initially focused on vegetables that store well like onions, cabbage, carrots, beets and turnips. The important growing areas for cabbage were the Tullnerfeld Plain and the southern Vienna Basin.
 
In contrast to tree farms, the cabbage fields or gardens were exclusively cared for by women.
Most often the seeds were collected from kitchen gardens.
The cabbage garden mainly consisted of one or two furrows of a better fertilised field near the farm.
 
In the 1832 edition of the “Beiträge zur Landeskunde Oesterreich’s unter der Enns” (“Contributions to Austrian Culture and Society South of the Enns”), edited by the Verein für Vaterländische Geschichte, Statistik und Topographie (Society for National History, Statistics and Topography), cabbage from the Tullnerfeld Plain is mentioned as follows: “Whole wagonloads and shiploads of cabbage are brought to the town in late autumn from several miles around. Cabbage of superior quality comes from the Tullnerfeld Plain and the fertile regions of the upper right bank of the Danube, which is why it is called Danube cabbage.”
 
In 1938, the following reference is made in the “Landwirthschaftliches Conversations-Lexicon für Praktiker und Laien” (“Agricultural Encyclopaedia for Practitioners and Laymen”) by Alexander von Lengerke: “The Danube cabbage is well-known and all of Vienna eats and needs an enormous quantity […]”.
 
After the Franz Josef Railway opened in 1870, Tullnerfelder Kraut was exported all the way to Bohemia.
 
Another mention comes from the “Wiener Illustrierte Gartenzeitung” (“Viennese Illustrated Garden Newspaper”) of 1891: “The main Austrian variety whose reputation extends furthest and whose seeds are quite expensive, although it always seems to change a bit when grown in other regions, is the Tullner cabbage.”
 
An anecdote says that the cabbage was getting flatter and flatter at the beginning of the 20^th  century, which led a farmwoman from the Tullnerfeld Plain (the great-grandmother of the producer) to travel to Bohemia to find suitable varieties for hybridisation so the cabbage would once again take on its ball-like shape, which succeeded in the end. 
 
The production of sauerkraut has played a big role in the region, whether as a starter, soup or side dish to meat and dumplings.
The harvesting of the cabbage was a community activity, whereas the preserving of cabbage was socage work. At home, the cabbage heads were sliced using a cabbage slicer and then salt and caraway were added to the cabbage tub before the cabbage was pounded either by bare feet or with a wooden pestle.
 
Medicinal effect:
Cabbage was considered to be the remedy par excellence and was used in the form of cabbage poultices for rheumatism, gout, swelling and bruises.
Hippocrates (460 - 370 BC) praised the laxative effect of sauerkraut and Dioscorides (1^st  century AD) recommended cabbage for diseases of the spleen in his text “Materia mater”.
Cato wrote in “De agricultura” (On Agriculture) that cabbage vegetables render doctors redundant. Columella recommended cabbage as the basic staple food of the people. And Virgil also mentions cabbage.
 
Etymology:
The origin of the German word “Kraut” is uncertain. However, the word “Kraut” (cabbage), in contrast to the word “Unkraut” (weed), refers to a plant useful to people.
The large number of sayings in connection with “Kraut” such as “dagegen ist kein Kraut gewachsen” (There’s no cure for that), “Kraut und Rüben vermischen” (mixing apples and oranges) or “das Kraut fett machen” (makes a difference) gives an idea of the important role cabbage has played in everyday life for a long time.
 
- Region:
The Tullnerfeld Plain is in Lower Austria in the southern part of the Tullner Basin on both sides of the Danube. It extends from the Wachau (Krems) in the north and the Wiener Pforte (Vienna Gate) (Korneuburg) in the east, or in other words, between the northern edge of the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) and the Alpenvorland (foothills of the alps) and the Wagram.
 
Landscape:
The Tullnerfeld Plain is 48 km long and up to 14 km wide. It is divided by the Kleinen Wagram, a 2 to 3 metre high terrace, which is very pronounced in the western part. In the eastern part of the Tullnerfeld Plain, this terrace is washed out and barely visible.
 
The Danube runs through the Tullnerfeld Plain and flows into numerous tributaries. The tributaries of the Danube in the south are the Traisen, the Perschling, the Große Tulln and the Klein Tulln Rivers, and in the north they are the Kamp, the Schmida and the Göllersbach Rivers.
The Tullnerfeld Plain is fertile alluvial and nearly treeless farmland.
 
Climate and soil conditions:
The Central European/Oceanic and the Pannonian/Continental climates converge in the Tullnerfeld Plain. The average yearly temperature is 9.5 °C and the yearly precipitation is 610 mm.
 
The Tullner Basin is a wide river plain of the Danube, a depression, which is filled with tertiary sediments and gravel deposits of the Danube and the Alpenvorland (foothills of the alps) rivers. The regulation of the Danube resulted in new fertile farmland.
 
There are a variety of soils in the Tullnerfeld Plain, from sandy gravel layers to deep loess soils to heavy raw wetland soils. The extensive fertile terraces are home to intensive agriculture (wheat, corn, potatoes and sugar beets).
 
The main cultivation areas of the Tullnerfelder Kraut are Langenrohr and Judenau-Baumgarten.
 
Tullnerfelder Kraut is cultivated on an area of around 3 hectares by a total of 3 farmers. The area under cultivation is located at an elevation of about 150 m.
 
- Tullnerfelder Kraut (Tullnerfelder cabbage):
The white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba), which is known in German as Weißkohl, Weißkraut, Kappes, Kaps, Kabis or Kraut, is part of the cruciferae family (Brassicaceae) and the cabbage genus (Brassica). Cabbage is a biennial plant, which means that the plant blooms in its second year.
 
Description of the variety:
Tullnerfelder Kraut is a local variety of superior quality.
Cabbage from the Tullnerfeld Plain has a very fine, soft texture and long leaves. The cabbage heads are rather flat and can weigh up to 20 kg. People in the Tullnerfeld Plain say that their size and shape remind them of plough wheels.
 
Method of production:
Tullnerfelder Kraut is cultivated according to integrated production standards.
 
Seeds and breeding:
The seeds for the production of Tullnerfelder Kraut come exclusively from each individual farmer’s own breeding and the process of acquiring them is long and difficult.
In autumn, particularly healthy heads of cabbage are selected and marked in the field. The heads are pulled out of the ground with the stalk and roots still attached. The outer leaves are removed and only the leaves that form the head are left attached.
For overwintering, the roots of the cabbage are planted in the earthen floor of the cellar.
 
The plants are checked regularly by the farmer to make sure they are in good condition.
 
Traditionally, a 3 - 6 cm X is cut into the cabbage head on 2 February, which allows the seeds to develop. The cabbage heads sprout and the seed stem may reach a height of about 70 cm.
In spring, these now shrub-like plants are planted in the kitchen garden. The plants should be spaced about 60 X 60 cm apart for best results. In the kitchen garden, they grow about 2 m high.
Every individual seed bearer is tied to a support. Since cabbage is cross-pollinated, several seed bearers are planted (10 - 15 is best) so enough viable seeds are harvested.
Well-pollinated plants can produce thousands of seeds. The plants are pollinated exclusively by insects, mainly honey bees, hoverflies and houseflies.
 
The seeds are ready for harvesting when the pods turn yellow green (mainly from the beginning of July to the beginning of August).
 
The pods are hung in a piece of cloth in a warm, dry place for about 2 months to continue ripening. They are then threshed out on a soft surface using a flail and are sieved, dried and packed in a seed testing facility of an agricultural products wholesaler in Sieghartskirchen.
Around 80,000 seeds are needed for 1 hectare, which is equivalent to a volume of about 0.25 litres.
The best way to store them is in a breathable cloth bag in a well-ventilated room, most of the time hung from the ceiling.
These seeds can then be planted the following year.
 
Cultivation, soil and fertilisation:
The seeds are cultivated close together in mid-March (around 17 March according to folk sayings). The cabbage plants are then put into the ground in the fields at the end of April/beginning of May. After they have started to grow well, they are earthed up.
 
Another alternative is to cultivate them directly in the field. Since the seeds are untreated, some of the seeds are not germinable. Therefore, the seeds are planted directly in the field about 20 cm apart and after they start to sprout are thinned out to about 60 cm apart. While this method saves time, the drawback is that the plants are in the field one month longer and they are a particular favourite of flea beetles and hares. Thus, the trend is towards a return to the first method of cultivation above.
 
The plants are fertilised by manure and crude calcium cyanamide in autumn or early in spring. The soil is tilled regularly and weeded.
 
Irrigation:
Tullnerfelder Kraut requires a minimum of 600 mm of precipitation. Artificial irrigation is necessary if there is not enough precipitation.
 
Plant protection:
Only those plant protection products are used that are permitted by the integrated production (IP) standards. The use of plant protection products must be documented in writing in the field record.
 
Harvest and storage:
Tullnerfelder Kraut is harvested before the first frost. The best time to harvest is when the outer leaves are still green or blue.
Harvesting by hand guarantees the least damage. Afterwards, the cabbage heads are washed. 
 

Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman

Tullnerfelder Kraut is stored directly in the farmers’ cellars, cold storage facilities or in cabbage barns under optimal conditions (high humidity, constant temperature and good ventilation).
 
If the cabbage heads have not been damaged, soaked by rain or frozen, then they can be stored for a longer period of time.
 
Quality control:
The farmers themselves check the quality of the cabbage using sensory quality control. Since Tullnerfelder Kraut cannot be bought wholesale, there are no quality grades. The farmers have not started their own quality control system due to the small volume of cabbage.
 
- Marketing:
The cabbage is marketed directly on the farm and in the food retail industry in the form of heads of cabbage, coleslaw and sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut is sold to several local grocer’s shops, market vendors and large commercial canteens.
 
In contrast to industrially produced cabbage, Tullnerfelder Kraut is only available seasonally. Fresh cabbage from the end of September to the end of December, and sauerkraut from mid-October to the end of February.
 
Connection between the geographical area and traditional knowledge:
- Specific, fertile soil and climatic conditions in the growing area
  offer the best conditions for the cultivation of cabbage.
- Tullnerfelder Kraut is a regional variety that has evolved very well over
  the centuries and is well-adapted to the local conditions.
- The type of crop and the particular geographical conditions produce a
  white cabbage with a specific appearance and taste.
- The production of Tullnerfelder Kraut is the result of traditional knowledge,
  which has been passed down from generation to generation: traditional
  knowledge and experience of salad farmers (adapting the cultivation to
  the environmental conditions, the selection of stocks, fertilisation, generic
  improvement, and best harvest know-how) and the experience of marketers.
 
- Utilisation:
Regional specialities are Tullnerfeld cabbage soup, Tullnerfeld yeast cabbage dumpling, sauerkraut, warm coleslaw without mayonnaise, pastry rolls with sauerkraut, cabbage pasta casserole, cabbage strudel, cabbage rolls, and Szegediner goulash.
 
Protection:
-   
 
Key Words
Food and agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, Lower Austria,Tullnerfeld, region, vegetable, cabbage, white cabbage, Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. albav, sauerkraut cabbage, Danube cabbage, Tullnerfelder Kraut, Tullnerfeld cabbage  
 
Bibliography / References
- MAIER-BRUCK F. Vom Essen auf dem Lande. Kremayr&Scheriau,
  Wien, 2003, S. 163 ff.
- Tullnerfelder Kraut
  www.genuss-region.at
- Auf Krautschau
  http://www.noe.co.at/geniesser/default_main.asp?id=63321&medium=GENIESSER&sprache=d&tt=GENIESSER_R4
- Bluza, Köch & Umurken
  http://www.arche-noah.at/etomite/index.php?id=188
- Weißkohl
  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei%C3%9Fkohl
- SCHEBEK P. „Tullnerfelder Kraut“- Vergleich zwischen
  küchentechnischen Verarbeitungsmöglichkeiten und
  Vermarktungsstrategien. Reifeprüfungs- und Diplomarbeit.
  HLFS für Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft mit dem Schwerpunkt
  Gesundheits- und Produktmanagement; 2008/2009.
- Weißkraut
  http://www.obst-gemuese.at/product/pages/weisskraut
- Verein für Vaterländische Geschichte, Statistik und Topographie.
  Beiträge zur Landeskunde Oesterreich’s unter der Enns“, 1832. S. 7.
- LENGERKE A. v. Landwirthschaftliches Conversations-Lexicon für
  Praktiker und Laien, 1838.
- Kraut- Vermehrung
  http://www.arche-noah.at/etomite/assets/downloads/Bibliothek/arche_noah_magazin_juli_2007.pdf
- Kraut
  http://www.ooegeschichte.at/Kraut.998.0.html
- Kulinarik und Genuss im Joglland
  http://www.regionalmanagement.at/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=280&Itemid=69
- WAGNER C., SEDLACZEK R. Österreich für Feinschmecker.
  Das Kulinarische Jahrbuch 1995. Verlag Deuticke, Wien, 1994. S. 82-92.
- k.k  Gartenbaugesellschaft Wien (Hrsg.). Wiener Illustrierten Gartenzeitung,
  Wien, 1891; S. 168.
  www.archive.org/stream/.../wienerillustrirt16kais_djvu.txt
 
All internet references last accessed on 22. September 2009.  
 
Language Code
German
 
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes 
 
Regional contact 
Regionalentwicklungsverein Donauland-Traisental-Tullnerfeld
Fuhrmannsgasse 3-7, 3100 St. Pölten
Mobile: 0676/3001025,
E-mail: leader@kwi.at
www.donauland-traisental-tullnerfeld.at 
 
Authors: Eva Sommer, Erhard Höbaus
 

09.01.2012, Lebensministerium III/4