Incredible Kimchi (Benefits, Ingredients, How To Make Kimchi)

How is Kimchi Used?

Kimchi is similar to German sauerkraut, pickles, and other marinated or fermented foods in that it is often used as a side dish. While it can be consumed as its own meal, it is generally used to accompany a meal, or as a digestive snack.

As a side dish, there is a myriad of possibilities of how kimchi can be used to enhance a dish, or simply as a way to add some healthy foods to your diet, or even simply to spice up an otherwise regular dish.

For breakfast, you may add kimchi to a dish of eggs, rice and avocado to balance the richness.

Kimchi can be added directly to any fried rice dish to add flavor and texture; many people like to add kimchi into a sandwich, which is a very simple and easy way to integrate it into the diet while adding some good taste to your sandwich.

Kimchi can be added to hot dogs, hamburgers and even croissants; kimchi can be used in any soup to add some delicious heartiness or to stir fry to vary the vegetable content and get more vitamins; sauces and dips can even benefit from finely chopped kimchi to add unique flavor; and some people even like to add kimchi to their favourite meat dishes, in marinades, or any salad.

In short, there is an endless list of possibilities of how kimchi can be used in any diet, and any meal, for avid consumers of kimchi.

This is especially useful to know if you’re interested in the health benefits of kimchi and searching for more creative ways to add it to the foods you are already eating.

Kimchi does have a strong flavor, so it is best used with more bland foods, such as fish, shrimp and grains, rather than dishes that contain many spices, or other strong flavors like hard cheeses and pesto for example.

Pairings should be made in a way that favours the kimchi rather than trying to compete with its very noticeable flavor on your palate.

Health Benefits of Kimchi 

Indeed, beyond the addictive flavor of kimchi, there are many health benefits that entice people to take the interest in this traditional Korean dish.

Some of these health benefits involve improved digestion and prevention of cancer thanks to the bacterial cultures and probiotics that are contained in the fermented part of the food.

For kimchi that includes ginger, there can be anti-inflammatory health benefits associated with the ginger, which is helpful for people suffering from chronic pain, arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

Some studies suggest that kimchi can boost immunity and therefore can build resistance to viruses and infections, and it is also known to prevent obesity, as it aids digestion, eases gas, bloating and flatulence and raises the metabolism.

When eaten regularly, it can promote colorectal health, brain health, reduce cholesterol and improve skin health.

The dietary effect of kimchi also includes anti-aging properties, weight management and prevention of excess weight, and it is also an excellent dietary source of iron, vitamin A, C, B1 and B2 as well as calcium.

To enjoy the health benefits, one does need to be consuming a good portion of kimchi on a regular basis.

A portion once in a while would certainly be beneficial to almost any individual, but occasional use of kimchi in the diet would only have momentary benefits.

To enjoy the lasting health benefits of kimchi, it should be eaten on a regular basis and integrated into the day to day diet.

The only exception to the health benefits may be for people who have stomach ulcers aggravated by certain ingredients such as hot chili peppers, garlic and ginger.

Anyone suffering from candida overgrowth would also want to refrain from the use of fermented foods in general, and therefore should stay away from kimchi unless advised by their primary care physician that it is safe to consume it regularly.

Maybe you interested to check what are the best shrimp paste substitutes.

How Is Kimchi so Healthy?

The reason kimchi is so healthy is in part due to its ingredients. Vegetables are high in vitamins and nutrients, which stay in the kimchi and are available for absorption into the body even after the fermentation process.

However, the fermentation process itself is also key to many of the antioxidant and other health properties found in kimchi.

Unlike other fermented foods like wine, beer and other alcohol, it is very low in sugar.

This fermented food, as with yogurt, sauerkraut and other more savory fermented foods, grows a bacterial culture known as a probiotic.

These probiotics are necessary for the digestion process and restore intestinal flora and reduce gas and bloating, allowing the body to absorb and integrate all of the vitamins and nutrients contained in the food, while clearing bad bacteria from the intestinal tract.

How Do You Make Kimchi at Home?