Korean Kimchi - The superfood? 150grams - 40 Calories

sim_moore
sim_moore Posts: 23 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,

So I was in south korea last week and again picked up a fascination and a love of Kimchi.. It is like a spicy pickled cabbage I think is the best way to describe it. Below is the recipe to give you an idea.. I have always wondered how they stay so thin in South Korea apparently one of the thinnest countries in the world.. Apparently this thing supercharges your metabolism as well :)

Well apart from small portion control and lots of walking (they don't seem to have much muscle) I think Kimchi might be their answer.. It is a staple in their diet often had with breakfast, lunch or dinner.... It is fermented and stored in the ground originally and can last for months/years depending on who you ask.

Anyone else like and enjoy this food?? Apparently labelled as one of the top 5 world superfoods (not sure by who but heard it somewhere)... Anyway I just picked some up at my local Korean Deli back in Perth.. 1KG for $12.00 and I think that was the tourist price hahaa.

Here is just one recipe to give you an idea
1 (2-pound) napa cabbage
1/2 cup kosher salt
About 12 cups cold water, plus more as needed
8 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
4 medium scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (use all parts)
1/3 cup Korean red pepper powder
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger (from about a 2-ounce piece)
1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves (from 6 to 8 medium cloves)
2 teaspoons Korean salted shrimp, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Anyway opinions on this would be appreciated people :) Has a slightly high sodium content but think it is worth introducing into my regular meals since I like it :) - Warning a little spicy for some
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Replies

  • SrMaggalicious
    SrMaggalicious Posts: 495 Member
    Saving! I LOVEEEE kimchee!! Thank you.
  • pbbagel
    pbbagel Posts: 53 Member
    I love kimchi too. I've heard that Korean people have much lower rates of cold and flu in the winter compared to Japan because of the amount of kimchi they eat. It has a lot of good bacteria in. I eat kimchi a lot. It's good with noodles, in soups, with salad, on it's own.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I've read a lot about the health benefits of fermented foods and I try to incorporate them all I can-- vinegars, pickles, yogurt, etc. I've never tried kimchi but I'd like to. Maybe I'll try making it this weekend. Thanks for the idea!
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
    We experimented with making our own fermented pickles and sauerkraut - both were fantastic! The fermented sauerkraut had a great, mildly sour flavor and was so easy to make. Only 27 calories/cup. We used the recipes from Wild Fermentation http://www.wildfermentation.com/
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Love it. I have a weakness for almost anything spicy or picked, though.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I looked up some recipes. It looks like I'd need to go to an Asian or Korean market, so I think I'll just buy some kimchi to try instead of making it. I've made my own kombucha and yogurt and the fermentation thing takes a little patience. I tried making my own sourdough starter recently and failed, and still have a lot of really good flour leftover from that project.

    Come to think of it I also have a bunch of almond and flax meal left from a gluten-free bread making project. (Which was ok but so high calorie!)
  • NancyKhuu
    NancyKhuu Posts: 87 Member
    I love Kimchi :) I always have a jar in the fridge because as a side dish it seems to add the "kick" to just about any food, especially anything BBQed. but my roommates seem to have been using it to add to the assumption of me being "weird". What can I say. I'm Asian and living in the Midwest. Haha.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Kimchee is delicious but when I hear "superfood" it sounds like another upcoming fad that people will glom on to. That being said, I make my own kimchee using Momoya brand kimchee base so I can incorporate other things like cucumbers or daikon. I don't notice any benefits either way, other than its just another food I incorporate into my diet.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Oh..my..god. Kimchi is being called a superfood?

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  • MeIShouldB
    MeIShouldB Posts: 578 Member
    I freaking love Kimchi. Don't talk to anyone after you eat it, but it is GOOOOOD.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    Hi All,

    So I was in south korea last week and again picked up a fascination and a love of Kimchi.. It is like a spicy pickled cabbage I think is the best way to describe it. Below is the recipe to give you an idea.. I have always wondered how they stay so thin in South Korea apparently one of the thinnest countries in the world.. Apparently this thing supercharges your metabolism as well :)

    Well apart from small portion control and lots of walking (they don't seem to have much muscle) I think Kimchi might be their answer.. It is a staple in their diet often had with breakfast, lunch or dinner.... It is fermented and stored in the ground originally and can last for months/years depending on who you ask.

    Anyone else like and enjoy this food?? Apparently labelled as one of the top 5 world superfoods (not sure by who but heard it somewhere)... Anyway I just picked some up at my local Korean Deli back in Perth.. 1KG for $12.00 and I think that was the tourist price hahaa.

    Here is just one recipe to give you an idea
    1 (2-pound) napa cabbage
    1/2 cup kosher salt
    About 12 cups cold water, plus more as needed
    8 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
    4 medium scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (use all parts)
    1/3 cup Korean red pepper powder
    1/4 cup fish sauce
    1/4 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger (from about a 2-ounce piece)
    1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves (from 6 to 8 medium cloves)
    2 teaspoons Korean salted shrimp, minced
    1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

    Anyway opinions on this would be appreciated people :) Has a slightly high sodium content but think it is worth introducing into my regular meals since I like it :) - Warning a little spicy for some

    :heart: :heart: Kimchi.
  • canary_girl
    canary_girl Posts: 366 Member
    LOVE Kimchi, never heard of it as superfood, but totally delicious. Might have to look for an Asian market near me.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Superfood? I have to disagree. There isn't enough nutritional content to make it a superfood.
  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
    Kimchi fried rice is the best! Followed by kimchi jjigae. That or simply a bowl of rice and a piece of pan fried salmon, picked radish, and some kimchi on the side. Love. <3
  • ge105
    ge105 Posts: 268 Member
    Idk what a superfood is but I LOOOVE this stuff! I think its cause my mom is Mexican and my dad is German American; its like spicy sauerkraut and tasted like home from the first time I tried it a few years ago in Hawaii. Its really popular there too. I always make my own and eat some every day :heart:

    Meant to add that you can add a bit of whey (watery stuff collected from real plain full fat yoghurt) and put less salt. Some people don't like the texture but I love it and it keeps longer.
  • sherisse69
    sherisse69 Posts: 795 Member
    bump for the recipe :)
  • EPICUREASIAN
    EPICUREASIAN Posts: 147 Member
    Kimchi is just another type of fermented, pickled food that specifically originates from Korea. Many different types of cuisines offer up their own brand of fermented foods. Think sauerkraut, poi, natto, yogurt, kefir, etc as examples of fermented foods. That said, there's a lot of literature offering up numerous health benefits of fermentables, especially as probiotics that promote good gut health. I don't know that anybody has ever lost significant amounts of weight going on a kimchi diet :D, but it wouldn't hurt adding a little variety to mealtimes. For the Korean stuff, I definitely gravitate toward the leafy green cabbage, green onion and radish (gakdugi) types. Some versions tend to be spicier than others--or not at all; others are more garlicky or fishy (with the addition of anchovy or shrimp pastes). Great to read that others are enjoying kimchi.
  • Fit_Jesus
    Fit_Jesus Posts: 27
    Well probiotics have been getting a lot of hype nowadays since they say that 70% of your immune system is in your gut. Most people think of yogurt when it comes to probiotics, but we usually eat yogurt with a lot of sugar which isn't so good. Kimchi is another probiotic food that has vegetables as the main ingredient, so of course it's gotta be good for you. I eat kimchi before eating huge amounts of food to help with digestion.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Well probiotics have been getting a lot of hype nowadays since they say that 70% of your immune system is in your gut. Most people think of yogurt when it comes to probiotics, but we usually eat yogurt with a lot of sugar which isn't so good. Kimchi is another probiotic food that has vegetables as the main ingredient, so of course it's gotta be good for you. I eat kimchi before eating huge amounts of food to help with digestion.

    If we went by your logic, wouldn't the sodium in kimchee be just as "bad" as the sugar in yogurt?

    Seriously, enough with the bro-science. Enjoy kimchee if you like it and stop acting like it's magical.
  • Kyzmos
    Kyzmos Posts: 3
    I love Kimchi!!!
  • sim_moore
    sim_moore Posts: 23 Member
    lol.. good to see lots of replies and interesting points.. although I am not saying I will be replacing my entire diet with this stuff on the side isn't bad.. since i started logging I have been reading up on many topics regarding foods I eat and what to go for.. When I first tried Kimchi I google it and the responses were calling it a superfood haha

    I guess my point to the article was that I like the stuff.. It isn't bad for you and fills you up.. Apparently a good boost to your metabolism also with all the spice?
  • Fit_Jesus
    Fit_Jesus Posts: 27
    Well probiotics have been getting a lot of hype nowadays since they say that 70% of your immune system is in your gut. Most people think of yogurt when it comes to probiotics, but we usually eat yogurt with a lot of sugar which isn't so good. Kimchi is another probiotic food that has vegetables as the main ingredient, so of course it's gotta be good for you. I eat kimchi before eating huge amounts of food to help with digestion.

    If we went by your logic, wouldn't the sodium in kimchee be just as "bad" as the sugar in yogurt?

    Seriously, enough with the bro-science. Enjoy kimchee if you like it and stop acting like it's magical.

    Well sodium isn't an issue for me since I train hard and sweat a lot. I actually add sodium to my diet since it's one of the main form of electrolytes our muscles need to function
  • pbbagel
    pbbagel Posts: 53 Member
    Hey OP did you try tteoboki (dobokki?) in Korea as well? Y'know the rice cakes with spicy sauce? So good!
  • sim_moore
    sim_moore Posts: 23 Member
    yup.. I tried so many different dishes and loved them all :) kimbap I love as well :)
  • pbbagel
    pbbagel Posts: 53 Member
    Yeah kimbap is so good! I only went for three days so I couldn't try a lot of stuff... but I hope Korean food becomes more popular in the US and UK.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    I couldn't care less if it melts off pounds, cures cancer and does your taxes. It's salty fermented cabbage, which is three times nasty, plus, it stinks. No way in hell. There is no way to make cabbage remotely enjoyable, and as for fermenting it.... gaggggg........
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I Love KimChi --- Cabbage is delicious and quite healthy- ????can anyone share an easier recipe?⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • rachelwaybright
    rachelwaybright Posts: 1 Member
    Sounds good! Bump for recipe.
  • hastingsmassage
    hastingsmassage Posts: 162 Member
    Try 'kiszona kapusta' fermented Polish cabage, the same caloric value, you can get it everywhere.
  • sim_moore
    sim_moore Posts: 23 Member
    ?? Does it taste as good as Kimchi?? I personally love the taste

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