Why Eat Kimchi?
not just a pretty face
Buy it fresh, or make it at home. It’ll give your mood a boost.
Kimchi is a salty and spicy side dish that complements a simple bowl of rice to providing a refreshing break from a stack of greasy BBQ ribs. It also has a subtly sweet aftertaste that can be from completely natural sources if made in a traditional way.
Kimchi is enjoying a Superfood reputation worldwide because it is a fermented product and contains probiotics. The importance of a healthy digestive system to a person’s overall well-being has now been thoroughly researched and documented (source).
Most people eat Kimchi because it’s delicious, but some consciously add it to their diet for its health properties.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF KIMCHI?
Probiotics that support healthy digestive flora is present due to the fermentation that Kimchi goes through.
Whole food ingredients that a basic recipe will call for are Korean red peppers and garlic. These are known to be good for heart health and to contain antioxidants.
When these fresh plant-based ingredients are mixed in a blend of spices and fish sauce it creates a perfect environment for healthy bacteria to grow. These unseen heroes may help the immune system, improve heart health and boost brain health by supporting a healthy digestive system.
Fish sauce is also a fermented product that contains whole fish and is full of vitamins and minerals.
An important note here is that all commercial kimchi will have been pasteurized. This is to maintain food safety in commercial products but also kills off beneficial bacteria that’s vital to promote health.
HOW MUCH KIMCHI DOES AN AVERAGE KOREAN EAT?
The average kimchi consumption of an adult over the course of a year was estimated to be 36.6kg in 2018 (source). Using a very unscientific method of dividing that by the days in a year (not taking into account fluctuations in amount eaten on a daily basis), and we get 100g per day.
A common size for a single-serving kimchi product contains just under 160 g. This explains the label stating it to be 1-2 servings.
Koreans are very cognizant of the sodium levels in kimchi and will try to keep balance in mind throughout the day. Just because a “typical” Korean meal is rice with Banchan like kimchi and soup, this doesn’t mean they eat 3 of these types of meals every day.
Kimchi-consumption in the younger Korean generations has progressively fallen throughout the years.
HOW MUCH KIMCHI SHOULD I EAT DAILY?
It’s said that you should eat fermented foods regularly to keep supporting healthy gut-microbes.
If you consume kimchi daily, keep sodium levels in check and eat in moderation with a serving size of about a cup a day.
Achieve balance by thinking over meals in advance. If you cook a kimchi-based main course, keep the Banchan (side dishes) light. If you skip a kimchi-eating day, an easy substitution for fermented food benefits is yogurt.
IS KIMCHI UNHEALTHY?
This study analyzed the effects of kimchi-consumption and Metabolic Syndrome (conditions that lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke). It concluded that there is no direct correlation between consuming kimchi (nor its sodium contents) with the onset of Metabolic Syndrome.
As with most things, eating in moderation seems to be key.
If you mostly consume store-bought kimchi, keep in mind it may be pasteurized for food safety reasons. This also kills off any beneficial bacteria so enjoy it as a tasty food as there won’t be any health benefits usually associated with kimchi.
Many Korean supermarkets make their own kimchi. The best way to tell if it’s unpasteurized is to get one that’s sold in the refrigerated section and you should see bubbling as soon as you open it.
BENEFITS OF EATING KIMCHI DAILY
A simple method of preserving foods many millennia ago had the unintended side effect of boosting overall health.
It is now widely accepted that the digestive system doesn’t only break down foods to supply our bodies with nutrients. It is a communication centre for the brain that also affects our mood and state of mind (source).
A healthy digestive tract supported with healthy bacteria also boosts the immune system and can help fight off diseases.
HOW MUCH KIMCHI IS TOO MUCH?
Kimchi is a fermented superfood chock-full of probiotics. However, it is also high on sodium which may negate its many health benefits if over-indulged. A daily portion of no more than 1 C is a conservative estimate to go by.
KIMCHI VS SAUERKRAUT
Sauerkraut is shredded cabbage that is only seasoned and fermented with salt. It is a newbie favourite as it uses common ingredients and is pretty fool-proof. The only thing to keep on top of is to make sure it stays submerged in the brine.
Depending on the size of the batch, start taste-testing after 3 days then refrigerate when it tastes good to you. Sauerkraut goes through the same lactic acid fermentation as kimchi and possesses the same beneficial bacteria that helps strengthen gut health.
The finished product is where these two fermented superfoods diverge. Kimchi blends many punchy flavours (garlic, fish sauce) together that meld into layers of salty, spicy and sweet on the tongue.
Sauerkraut takes on a sweet tang from what is traditionally only 2 ingredients: cabbage and salt. Very much like store-bought kimchi, commercially made sauerkraut is made with vinegar and pasteurized which kills off all the probiotic bacteria cultures.
KIMCHI VS PICKLE
Pickles were originally fermented in only salt as well. However the pickle (BFF to the burger and hot dog) that we know and love are usually made with vinegar and boiled to prolong shelf life. This boiling that allows even homemade pickles to be kept on a shelf for up to a year kills off any beneficial bacteria.
Pickles in the classic sense (dill pickles) include spices like fennel seeds, peppercorn, coriander and dill seeds. The flavour profile whether pickled with vinegar or just salt, will be tangy. Kimchi is most often renown for its spicy qualities.
Unless you pickle your own in just salt brine (plus spices) and let lactic bacteria fermentation take place, any store-bought product or recipe using vinegar and boiled won’t have see the health benefits associated with fermented foods.
KIMCHI VS PAOCAI
Paocai is also known as the Chinese pickle. Vegetables usually used are Chinese cabbage. It is traditionally made by brining in salt and some sugar.
Made in this simple, traditional method, Paocai contains beneficial bacteria for gut health through lacto-fermentation.
However, it’s possible to make a quick pickle using vinegar and sugar. This type does not go through fermentation and does not have the same health benefits.
Classic red kimchi is fiery and assertive in flavour, Paocai is closer to pickled vegetables in their tang and work well as palate cleansers in between heavy or greasy dishes.
KIMCHI VS INDIAN PICKLE
Indian pickles or Achar (also Achaar) are the condiments of choice to add some unexpected textures and flavours to a meal. As with all pickled or fermented vegetable condiments that have some tang, it’s also enjoyed as a palate cleanser during the meal.
Although its uses and means of eating may be similar (a side dish), Indian pickles are fermented using oil. Mustard oil and sesame oil are generally used, depending on the region.
Locally available unripe, green mangoes are usually used. Mangoes are cut and salted for a few days and drained. Spices like turmeric and fennel seeds are added and then everything is submerged in a cooked and cooled oil. It is ready in 3 weeks.
Homemade, fermented Achar contain all the benefits of fermented foods. Indian pickled vegetables contain inimitable Indian spices so the flavour profile is completely different from Kimchi.
The common theme of all these pickled foods from different parts of the world is fermentation. It’s amazing to think of how people all over the world used similar methods of food preservation all those years ago.
Homemade Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Pickles, Paocai or Achar all contain beneficial live bacteria that help the intestinal gut flora thrive. Health benefits abound from improving digestion, boosting immunity and enhancing heart and brain health.
Commercially available products will most likely not have the same benefits, however, as food safety and shelf stability take top priority.
HOW TO EAT KIMCHI?
Banchan (side dish): Plate a small portion of kimchi, cut to bite-sized pieces and place on the table with other side dishes.
Cooking: You can add to any recipe, kimchi goes especially well with fattier meats. Or you can just give a quick stir-fry as hot kimchi is delicious on its own as well.
Soup: The classic Kimchi Jjigae (Stew) or the lighter Kimchi Guk (Soup) both feature Kimchi, as you can tell by their names.
Rice companion: This is the perfect way to perk up a lonely bowl of rice when you’re just ready to go to bed.
Diet: Make your diet exciting by eating some Kimchi with those boiled eggs or sweet potato “dinner”.
Spice it up: Add Kimchi in unexpected places. Kimchi grilled cheese or kick up that pasta sauce up a notch?
