Like Philadelphia has the Philly steak sandwich and Buffalo has buffalo wings, northeast Ohio has its sauerkraut balls. A popular appetizer throughout the region, they are breaded and fried balls of sauerkraut, ham and other flavors and seasonings. For the longest time, one of the premier names in sauerkraut ball manufacturing was Or Derv Foods of Akron, Ohio. The company has been around since 1964, and up until recently, that was all the company made.
Things changed for Or Derv about nine years ago, when Keith Kropp bought the company. From the onset, the focus was to add new products that were as unique and creative as the sauerkraut balls.