Kimchi is generally considered the national dish of both North and South Korea. It consists mainly of fermented vegetables and while a number of vegetables can be used, the most common ones are cabbage, scallions, cucumbers and radishes. Different spices and sauces such as ginger, garlic, pepper flakes, shrimp sauce and fish sauce are also added to the vegetable mix. Kimchi is usually used as a side dish in Korea and Koreans will serve this dish with each meal of the day. However, it can also be used to create special Kimchi dishes such as Kimchi soup, Kimchi Stew and Kimchi fried rice.
What are the Health Benefits of Eating Kimchi?
Kimchi is in fact one of the top ten healthiest foods that one can consume. It has been suggested that Koreans developed this particular dish in order to ensure that vegetables picked after harvest retained their vitamins and minerals while being stored through the winter. Kimchi, like most vegetable dishes, has very little fat but is full of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, various B vitamins, calcium and iron. Researchers have found that Kimchi has a fair bit of lactic acid bacteria, a form of good bacteria that aids digestion. However, there is no evidence that Kimchi reduces the odds of getting cancer or cures avian flu, as some individuals have suggested.
Making Kimchi
The type of cabbage most commonly used to make Kimchi is known as Napa cabbage. A person will need to purchase this cabbage, remove outer leaves that will not pickle well and cut the leaves into smaller pieces. Once this is done, the cabbage is covered with salt and left in a sealed container overnight. The following day is when the real work begins, as this is when one will need to chop up the other vegetables that will be used for the Kimchi. Usually one will use three or four different kinds of vegetables, but recipes vary from region to region and there are over 180 ways to make Kimchi. The chopped vegetables are then mixed with the sauces and spices called for by the Kimchi recipe that one is following. After this is done, one will need to get out the cabbage, rinse it off and then add the vegetable mixture to the cabbage leaves. Kimchi is traditionally stored in stone jars, but can be stored in any sealed container.
Most Korean families prefer to make this dish themselves instead of buying it at a local store. Thankfully, one does not necessarily need to spend a whole day cutting vegetables in order to enjoy Kimchi, as this product is sold pre-made at many grocery stores and supermarkets. On the other hand, buying this traditional Korean dish at a local Korean food store will ensure that one is getting the “real thing” instead of a product made with preservatives and additives not found in homemade Kimchi.
Those who are looking for healthy foods will find that Kimchi is one of the healthiest foods that one can eat. Even a small serving of this traditional dish is full of vitamins and minerals that one needs to stay healthy and in good shape. This dish does take time to prepare if one decides to make it at home; however, it is surprisingly easy to make and can be eaten along with most any meal of the day.
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