Iota
This hearty soup of Istria and Trieste has as many variations on the name as it does in its ingredients. It is alternately called iota, iotta, jota, yota, and minestra di crauti. One thing that is unchanging, however, is that the sauerkraut gives away its apparent Austro-Hungarian origins. Because of the availability of the ingredients, this soup began as a winter dish, but with sauerkraut now in grocery stores year-round (in cans, jars, or fresh), it can be enjoyed year round. It is best made in large quantity because its flavor improves after a day or two in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 150 g. (5 oz.) beans
- 300 g. (10 oz.) sauerkraut
- 200 g. (7 oz.) potatoes
- 500 g. (18 oz.) smoked spare ribs
- 100 g. (4 oz.) smoked bacon (panceta)
- 20 g. (2/3 oz.) garlic
- parsley
- salt
- 2-3 pepper corns
- 2 bay leaves
Preparation
The beans should be soaked in water for 24 hours.
Wash and drain the sauerkraut. Wash the spare ribs. Prepare pest: finely chop the bacon (known locally as panceta), garlic and parsley to a paste-like consistency (pesto - pešt). Peel and slice (or dice) the potatoes. Boil the sauerkraut and spare ribs together and the beans separately.
When half cooked, combine the beans, sauerkiaut and spare ribs and continue cooking. Add bay leaves, pepper corns and pešt. Just before cooking is completed add the potatoes and cook until they soften. Remove the spare ribs and serve separately from the yota.
Partial Recipe Source: Croatian Cuisine, the Modern Way. Golden Marketing (Zagreb, 1995)