Korean sauerkraut
Balm for the intestines: This is how you make kimchi yourself
Fresh kimchi tastes spicy, fruity-sweet and sour at the same time. The longer the veggies ferment, the more tangy and tart the flavor will be.
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Kimchi is to Koreans what sauerkraut is to us Germans. The fermented vegetables are considered a real superfood and can be produced at home without much effort. You can find out how this works here.
For some time now there has been a real hype about a thousand-year-old Korean dish: kimchi. The fermented product is Korea’s national dish and is served with almost every dish here. Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner – kimchi is a must. Manufacturing is so ingrained in Korean culture that it has been designated an Intangible World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The fact that the dish is now extremely popular around the world and can be found on the menus of athletes, stars and starlets is mainly due to its healthy effects. After all, no one wants to do without the healing power of the fermented product.
A meal with tradition
But before we get to the health benefits, let’s first travel back in time—to seventh-century Korea, to be precise. With the advent of field cultivation, vegetables became an important part of people’s daily diet. However, especially in areas with distinct seasons, there was a lack of fresh vegetables to fully cover the vitamin intake during the cold winter months. This problem was solved by starting to pickle vegetables. The cold floor was used for storage. The fermented vegetables were dug into the ground in clay pots, so-called Onggi pots, where they were stored in a well-chilled place.
In the beginning, kimchi was simply a type of salted pickled vegetable. This is how the term “kimchi” came about, which can be traced back to shimchae – a process that describes the salting of vegetables. Over the years, more and more ingredients and spices were added to the vegetables during production until the spicy pickled vegetables as we know them today were born.
The manufacturing process
Kimchi is one of the wild ferments and is fermented with lactic acid. Unlike kombucha, for example, it is fermented without a starter culture. All kinds of vegetables can be used to make kimchi, but the most well-known are those made with Chinese cabbage, radishes, spring onions, and cucumbers. Depending on the composition of the ingredients, over 200 kimchi variants can now be made.
During the manufacturing process, the vegetables are subjected to lactic acid fermentation together with spices. In order to start the fermentation process, the vegetables must be prepared by finely slicing and chopping them up in such a way that the salt can penetrate well into the cell structure when they are placed in them. The salt ensures that the vegetables remain crisp and al dente, removes the liquid from the vegetables and dissolves the sugar from the inside, which is also food for the lactic acid bacteria. During this process, a brine is created in which the lactic acid bacteria will later continue to multiply. It also serves as a protective shield and ensures the durability of the product.
A blessing for the intestines
Despite the same recipe, kimchi never tastes the same, and the consistency and ingredients also vary. This is due to the different compositions of the microorganisms that live on the fresh vegetables used. However, the following applies: the longer the fermentation process lasts, the more the sugar content in the finished fermented product decreases. Organic acids are produced to the same extent, especially lactic acid, trace elements and vitamins, with kimchi – like sauerkraut – being rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and B vitamins. The lactic acid bacteria convert sugar into acid, which not only preserves the vegetables but also makes them easier to digest. The lactic acid bacteria actively support digestion and ensure a healthy microflora in the intestines, which in turn supports the body’s defenses. Kimchi is a real enrichment – both culinary and health. Have fun trying.
Tip: It is best to enjoy kimchi raw and do not heat it, as most of the lactic acid bacteria are destroyed at temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius.
Recipe for homemade kimchi
ingredients
- 800 grams of Chinese cabbage
- 55 grams of sea salt
- 250ml of water
- 30 g rice flour
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 carrots
- 1 bunch of spring onions
- ½ apple
- 6 cloves of garlic
- ¼ white onion
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons of fish sauce
- 100 grams of chili flakes
preparation
- Wash the cabbage and cut into fine pieces. Place in a large bowl, salt well and let steep for at least two hours. Then rinse several times with cold water.
- For the kimchi paste, mix the water well with the rice flour, bring to the boil and allow to thicken for a few minutes while stirring constantly. Add sugar and continue to simmer until the paste turns translucent. Let cool down.
- Wash carrots and spring onions and cut into fine pieces. Wash and grate the apple.
- Place the garlic, onion, ginger and fish sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Mix the mass with the carrots, spring onions and grated apple as well as the rice paste.
- Add everything to the prepared cabbage and mix well. It is best to use work gloves for this and massage everything with your fingers while stirring.
- Pour the finished kimchi into small glasses. It is important that the jars are stuffed well so that there are no air bubbles in the kimchi. Leave at least an inch around the top of the jar, as the cabbage will expand as it ferments.
- Put something into the fridge. You can eat the kimchi immediately, but it takes about three weeks to develop its full flavor. As long as you don’t open the jar, the kimchi will keep in the fridge for months.