Betty Shore, age 14, of Lowell, Mass., for her question:

HOW DO YOU MAKE SAUERKRAUT?

Sauerkraut is a popular German vegetable dish that is made from cabbage. To make this tasty treat, raw cabbage is first shredded and then it is packed in alternate layers with salt and is allowed to pickle in earthenware jars or wooden barrels. After slight fermenting, the sauerkraut is sealed up in smaller containers and stored until it is used.

From the original wild cabbage, seven useful common plants have developed: head cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, savory cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower and broccoli. The wild cabbage continues to grow along the sea coasts of Europe where it has grown for centuries. It is a useless plant.

Perhaps the most popular of the family members is the head cabbage. From it comes not only sauerkraut but also coleslaw, a salad made by chopping raw cabbage and adding a dressing.

The Korean national dish is called kimchi. It is made from spiced, fermented head cabbage.