In general, kimchi is made using Chinese leaves (Napa cabbage) or radish as the primary ingredient, with red chilli pepper powder, garlic and spring onions used as supplementary ingredients.
Baechu Kimchi (Chinese leaves Kimchi), which is the most common ingredient of kimchi, is particularly high in moisture, accounting for 95% of its weight, and is low in calories, making it an ideal part of a balanced diet.
Here are some of the ingredients used to make traditional Baechu Kimchi and their health benefits!
Chinese Leaves (Napa Cabbage)
Contains carotene, which functions as Vitamin A once absorbed into the human body. It is also high in Vitamin C and amino acids, which are good sources of nutrition.
Radish, which plays a role in helping kimchi cabbage ferment, contains Vitamin C, Phosphorus and even Calcium. Of particular note is the fact that radishes contain seven times more Vitamin C than apples.
Garlic
Garlic makes a significant contribution to the excellent nutritional value of Kimchi. According to recent studies, garlic is known to have anti-cancer effects and has been listed among the world’s ten most healthy foods, as chosen by Time magazine. Allicin is the compound responsible for garlic’s strong flavour and smell and has antibiotic properties.
Red Chilli Pepper (Gochugaru)
The chilli pepper is the most important ingredient of kimchi, giving it its typical red colour and spicy taste. It contains a substance called capsaicin. Capsaicin is present in higher concentrations in the white stalk of red chilli pepper, where the seeds are attached, and prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria. It also helps people burn fat by stimulating the body’s metabolism.
Fish Sauce (Jeotgal)
This is made by salting and fermenting various forms of marine life such as shrimps, anchovies, shells. As well as salt, fish sauce is also used as an additional seasoning in traditional Kimchi recipe. As fish sauce is a fermented product, it promotes the fermentation process and increases the essential amino acid content of Kimchi.
Spring Onion
Spring Onion also contains Allicin, found in Garlic, which promotes the absorption of Vitamin B1 by the body.
Kimchi tastes better if it is properly salted prior to fermentation. Salt is not only used for pickling, but also plays a role in seasoning Kimchi and preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.
Kimchi can be made from a variety of vegetables, and even fruits, but the most recognized version — baechu kimchi — is made with cabbage. Alongside cabbage, it often contains radishes, scallions, carrots, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and other flavorings. Kimchi has a sour, salty, savory, and often fiery taste.
Meanwhile, a ruby-red marinade is prepared using ginger, garlic, white radish, red pepper flakes and carrot. For extra richness, anchovy extract or fermented prawn paste (or both) can be added, though vegan-style preparation is increasingly popular. The number of ways to customize baechu kimchi is nearly infinite.
Kimchi is typically fermented by 'wild cultures' naturally present on the vegetables. The formation of organic acids (primarily lactic and acetic acid) results in an optimum kimchi pH of 4.2. The kimchi fermentation process is very short in comparison to making sauerkraut.
Kimchi is often served as a side dish alongside other healthful vegetables and proteins. Researchers noted in the study that consuming more than three servings of kimchi a day could have the opposite benefit. Participants who ate more than five servings of kimchi per day were more likely to be at a risk for obesity.
Because it's a fermented food, it boasts numerous probiotics. These healthy microorganisms may give kimchi several health benefits. It may help regulate your immune system, promote weight loss, fight inflammation, and even slow the aging process. If you enjoy cooking, you can even make kimchi at home.
Generally, kimchi is safe for most people unless you have a specific allergy to any of the ingredients. It may also cause some unpleasant side effects such as gas and bloating if you're not used to fermented or high-fibre food.
The use of bold seasonings like gochugaru and, in some regions, salted seafood, offer additional layers of complexity to the overall taste of the kimchi.
Even if it's refrigerated, mold can still grow on kimchi that's been kept for too long. Throw out your kimchi immediately if you see any blue, black, white, or green masses starting to form on the kimchi itself or on the jar. The kimchi will taste a lot more sour if it's gone bad.
— Get some latex gloves to mix the cabbage and the spices. Otherwise, your hands will get stained and your skin might start to burn off. (I learned this the hard way.) — Make sure you allow the kimchi to ferment at room temperature.
Kimchi should be stored in the fridge as chilling is the only thing that keeps its level of fermentation (i.e. the activity of those happy little probiotics) slowed down. If you leave kimchi outside of the fridge, over time it will become over-fermented and won't taste so great anymore.
Kimchi is traditionally made with napa cabbage, but there's nothing to stop you from using another cabbage! Napa cabbage, Chinese cabbage, green cabbage, savoy cabbage, white cabbage, red cabbage, and bok choy (we could go on and on) are all part of the very large cruciferous family (Brassicaceae).
The biggest difference between fresh and fermented Kimchi is the taste. Fresh Kimchi is more like a salad, so it taste more raw, fresh and crunchy. Fermented Kimchi is softer and tangy.
The nutritional value of sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles
Sauerkraut, for example, is a rich source of vitamin C and K, as well as fiber. Kimchi, a Korean staple, contains vitamins A, B, and C, and is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Tradition is one of the main reasons why Korean serve kimchi at almost every meal. History shows that Koreans were already eating kimchi as early as 37 BC. During those times, it was common for the locals to make fermented dishes because of the abundance of ingredients and lack of refrigeration.
Korean kimchi is made with Chinese cabbage, red pepper, garlic, salted fish and ginger, and then stored in clay containers to ferment for at least four weeks. (Korea Food Research Institute) However, Japanese kimchi is made with Chinese cabbage and artificial flavor, skipping the fermentation process.
Men who ate more than three serves a day of cabbage kimchi (baechu) were less likely to have obesity and abdominal obesity (excess fat deposits around their middle). And women who ate two to three serves a day of baechu were less likely to have obesity and abdominal obesity.
It will continue to ferment at a cool temperature. If kimchi over-ferments, it will have a very vinegary odor and taste. It is not pleasant to eat raw, so it is often used for soups and stews. If any fermentation gets soft and slimy, then it is a sign of spoilage.
The fiber and probiotics in kimchi can help you maintain a healthy digestive system. The probiotics in fermented food can help reduce the negative symptoms of many gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and colon inflammation.
Vegetables: You can make kimchi in many different ways, whereas sauerkraut has more defined limits. Baechu-kimchi is the closest to sauerkraut in that it has a simple cabbage base without any additional veggies. Sauerkraut is always cabbage, whereas kimchi can encompass a panoply of fermented vegetables.
It turns out that kimchi has only had fish and shrimp paste in it for just a fraction of its existence. I think it's thus fair to say that the fishy version might be "less real" than the fish free one. Either way, it boils down to respect.
Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented food prepared via spontaneous fermentation by various microorganisms originating from vegetables such as kimchi cabbage, radishes, and garlic.
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