Kimchi is a probiotic food, which is made with salted fermented vegetables. It contains scallions, cabbage, red peppers, garlic, onions, ginger, sugar, and salt. It can also include other vegetables, such as carrot, celery, radish, eggplant, cucumber, beets, spinach, bamboo shoots, etc. Even though it is generally fermented for a few days, Kimchi can also be consumed unfermented or fresh, immediately after the preparation.
Kimchi, like other probiotic-rich foods, offers numerous benefits for overall health. Namely, it improves gut health, aids in protein digestion, reduces inflammation, slows down the aging process, prevents yeast infections, reduces blood sugar, regulates nutrient deficiencies, enhances the immune system, prevents bad breath and tooth decay, treats obesity and constipation. In addition, according to studies, Kimchi helps reduce the risk of cancer, and aids in kidney, intestine, and liver detoxification.
Nutritional Value of Kimchi
Kimchi has a great nutritional profile, as it is rich in:
- Vitamin A 805 IU – 16% of the recommended daily amount
- Vitamin E 0.5 mg – 2% of the recommended daily amount
- Thiamin -3% of the recommended daily amount
- Riboflavin – 2% of the recommended daily amount
- Niacin 0.6 mg – 3% of the recommended daily amount
- Vitamin B6 0.1 mg – 5% of the recommended daily amount
- Folate 29.5 mcg – 7% of the recommended daily amount
- Pantothenic Acid 0.1 mg – 1% of the recommended daily amount
- Vitamin C 4.4 mg – 7% of the recommended daily amount
- Choline- 2 milligrams
- Calcium 22.2 mg – 2% of the recommended daily amount
- Iron 0.7 mg – 4% of the recommended daily amount
- Vitamin K 7.5 mcg – 9% of the recommended daily amount
- Magnesium 12.4 mg – 3% of the recommended daily amount
- Phosphorus 20.1 mg – 2% of the recommended daily amount
- Potassium 84.2 mg – 2% of the recommended daily amount
- Sodium 781 mg – 33% of the recommended daily amount
- Zinc 0.2 mg – 1% of the recommended daily amount
- Copper 0.1 mg – 3% of the recommended daily amount
- Manganese 0.2 mg – 9% of the recommended daily amount
- Selenium 1.4 mcg – 2% of the recommended daily amount
- Calories – 33.9
- Carbohydrate -7 grams
- Dietary Fiber 0.8 g – 3% of the recommended daily amount
- Omega-3 fatty acids -25.6 milligrams
- Omega-6 fatty acids -137 milligrams
- Protein 1.1 g – 2% of the recommended daily amount
Kimchi can be added to meat, salad, or it can be consumed as a side dish.
How to prepare Kimchi at home?
Home-made Kimchi recipe
For the preparation, you will need these ingredients:
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
- 3 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1 tablespoon of ginger root
- A bunch of sliced onions
- 1 head of shredded cabbage or napa
- ¼ cup of water kefir
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of red chili pepper powder or pepper flakes
Preparation method:
- Cut and wash the vegetables.
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients, cover them and let them stay for 30 minutes.
- Mash the ingredients with a spoon or a potato masher until you get a juicy mixture.
- Pour the juice into a jar and make sure you seal it properly.
- Let the jar stay 3 – 7 days at room temperature. Make sure you check its liquid level every day. Then, store it in the refrigerator.
