Slovenian · soup

Jota (Sauerkraut, Bean and Potato Pot)

Jota (Sauerkraut, Bean and Potato Pot) reads umami 7.1, richness 6.4 and sourness 6.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Slovenian soup, about 2 hr 53 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.1 · Richness 6.4 · Sourness 6.1 · Funk & Ferment 5.2 · Salinity 4.6 · Allium 3.4 · Smoke 3.0 · Sweetness 2.0 · Earthy 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Bitterness 1.2 · Nutty 1.0 · Heat 0.6 · Herbaceous 0.5

What's in it (13)

Time & effort: about 2 hr 53 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 38.2 kcal, 2.5 g protein, 1.8 g fat, 2.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (11 steps)

  1. Drain the soaked beans, put them in a pot with the smoked ribs and the 1.5 L of water, bring to a simmer and cook 75 minutes, until the beans are tender.
  2. In a second pot, cook the sauerkraut with its brine, the bay leaves and the caraway, covered, for 45 minutes. The two are cooked apart on purpose: acid stops beans from softening, and a jota started together gives you beans that stay chalky no matter how long you wait.
  3. Add the potato cubes to the bean pot for the last 20 minutes.
  4. Crush about a third of the potatoes and beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. That is what thickens jota; there is no cream in it.
  5. Combine the two pots, ribs and all.
  6. Render the pancetta in the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat for 8 minutes, until the fat has run and the pieces are crisp at the edges.
  7. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes, until it smells sweet but has taken no colour.
  8. Stir in the flour and cook 3 minutes to a bronze roux.
  9. Loosen the roux with a ladleful of the liquid, stir it into the pot with the black pepper and simmer 15 minutes more.
  10. Let it stand. Jota is a Karst winter dish and every cook there will tell you it is only properly itself on the second day.
  11. Substitutions: a smoked pork hock can stand in for the smoked pork ribs; smoked bacon can stand in for the pancetta.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Keep reading: what umami, richness, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.