Kimchi – How to make Korea’s Delicious, Healthy National Dish
Kimchi, Korea’s national dish is made from fermented cabbage and other veg (a sort of sauerkraut with added pizzaz!). Koreans consume about 40lbs (18kg) per person per year – one of the reasons they don’t have an obesity problem.
Kimchi is a great source of vitamins and minerals
Kimchi is a great source of Vitamin A, and just one serving delivers over 50% of your vitamin C requirement for the day. It is also a great source of B1 (Thiamine) and B2 (Riboflavin), has a high concentration of dietary fibre and is a terrific source of calcium and iron. The best thing about it however, is that it contains a natural probiotic – Kimchi Lactobacillus which is a wonderful way of improving your gut flora and digestion. There are many variations of this recipe and here’s my take on it.
Ingredients
1/2 cabbage, sliced
4 radishes grated
1 carrot grated
1/2 onion sliced (optional)
2 spring onions sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Thumb size piece of ginger, grated
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp tamari (if you are vegan you can opt for vegan tamari)
1 tbsp chilli sauce or chilli paste
1 tbsp coconut sugar, but you can use brown sugar instead
Method
Slice the cabbage into strips. Put the cabbage in a bowl and mix it with 1 tbsp of Himalayan salt or sea salt. If you have the time set it aside for an hour.
To make the Kimchi paste add crushed garlic to another bowl along with finely chopped ginger, fish sauce, chilli sauce, tamari, sugar and rice vinegar then mix it together. However, if you prefer a smoother paste then blend it instead.
Add the paste along with grated radishes, carrot, onions and chopped spring onions to the cabbage and mix together. Pack everything tightly into an air tight, Kilner-style jar filling it to the top. Seal tightly. Leave to ferment at room temperature overnight, then chill in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 2 weeks. The flavour will improve the longer its left so try to leave it for at least a week before getting stuck in.
In summary, with all the health benefits in something that tastes so good – it’s no wonder Koreans consume 18kg of Kimchi per person, year!
