subject: What Is Korean Kimchi And How Is It Prepared? [print this page] Kimchi has been the primary food of the Korean diet for thousands of years. Even though there are various types of Korean kimchi , the most commonly used one is made with fermented vegetables in brine with spicy seasoning. The most common seasonings include, garlic, scallions and chili pepper. Depending on the type of kimchi being made, other seasonings include ginger, onions, salted fish or shellfish as well as fruit or fresh seafood. One of the most popular kimchi is that which is made of Napa Cabbage variety. Kimchhi has a high concentration of dietary fibers. The fiber in kimchi helps to prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It's low in cholesterol, sugar, fat, while also being low in calories.
Just like dried orange has many nutritional benefits, Kimchi is also very rich in antioxidants like vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), vitamin C, calcium and iron. Most types of kimchi contain ingredients like onions, garlic and peppers all of which have health benefits. Red pepper is one of the most prevalent ingredients of kimchi which has capsaicin which gives it a very pungent taste.Capsaicin stimulates gastric juice in the stomach and aids digestion. Garlic strengthens the immune system and helps the body absorb vitamin B1. Ginger helps with blood circulation and increases the appetite. Since kimchi is a fermented food it contains beneficial bacterial cultures of L. acidophilus a probiotic or "friendly" bacteria found in yogurt. L. acidophilus improves gastrointestinal function, boosts the immune system and aids in the production of niacin, folic acid, and pyridoxine. Kimchi is total health food.
The following is a recipe for baechu (Napa cabbage) dried kimchi:
Ingredients
o 1 head Napa cabbage (baechu, wombok)
o onion, thin sliced
o carrot, thin julienne
o radish, thin julienne
o 4 green onions, cut into 2 inches
o 2 tbsp minced garlic
o 1 tsp minced ginger
o cup go choo ga roo (Korean chili powder)
o 2 tsp sea salt
o 1 tbsp sugar
o cup sea salt (or any coarse salt)
o 1 cup water
o cup jeot gal (Korean fish sauce)
Steps to prepare kimchi
1. Chop the Napa cabbage, wash and drain.
2. Mix cup sea salt (or any coarse salt) and 1 cup water.
3. Put cabbages in salt water and take out one at a time to get salt down.
4. In a container, add cabbages and pour salted water, set aside for at least 6-8 hours. (Overnight will be great.)
5. The cabbage should be soft enough to bend.
6. Wash, drain well.
7. Mix together cup go choo ga roo (Korean chili powder), 2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, cup jeot gal (Korean fish sauce), 2 tbsp minced garlic, and 1 tsp minced ginger.
8. Mix in vegetables to the chili powder mixture.
9. Take one cabbage; stuff in above mixture to an every layer. Try to fold in half
10. With 2 outer leaves, wrap the whole thing securely.
11. Put in an air tight container.
12. Let it sit on a kitchen counter for overnight.
