The Existence Of Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional food of Koreans. Kimchi is a kind of salted vegetables as a result of the fermentation process is done by washing vegetables in salt and marinate with ingredients such as dried shrimp, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and red chilli powder.

Vegetables that commonly used to make kimchi are cabbage and carrots. In the old days, kimchi called "Chim-Chae" which means "vegetables are soaked."

In Korea, kimchi is always served during mealtimes as a side food. Kimchi is also used as ingredients for cooking, such as kimchi soup (kimchi jjigae), kimchi fried rice (kimchi bokkeumbap) and various other dishes. Kimchi made ​​up of hundreds of types with special features that it smells a little bitter, spicy, sour and salty.

History

Salty green vegetable is used in early form of kimchi when the chilly is still unknown in Korea. After mixed with salt, vegetables are put into containers and fermented in clay and put into soil as preparation when fresh vegetables are not available during the winter. Koreans began to recognize the chili when Portuguese traders coming from Japan to Korea during the 16th century.

Vegetables and salted pumpkin recipes are loaded into the recipe books issued in 1670 that do not use chillies. In the recorded history of the 17th century show that 11 kinds of kimchi were using chili as an ingredient. Before the 19th century, kimchi is made ​​from pure vegetables in Korea before Chinese cabbage is known in the 19th century. Kimchi is also a popular food in China and Japan. Kimchi in Japanese version has been modified by a local people which is less spicy and sweeter.

Ingredients

Kimchi is made from various types of ingredients is depend on the person who made it. The most famous Kimchi in outside Korea's is “Baechu Kimchi” made ​​from Chinese cabbage and carrots mixed with garlic, red chili, green onion, squid, oysters or other seafood, garlic, salt, and sugar.

In this native country alone there are about 200 types of kimchi, including a special kimchi by region and season. Kimchi Museum, located in Seoul recorded approximately 187 types of kimchi, from ancient times until today. Different types of kimchi are easily recognizable, such as kkakdugi kimchi (radish), oisobaegi kimchi (cucumber), and kkaennip kimchi (the order of perilla leaves soaked in soy sauce, red chilli, garlic, green onion, seasoning and other ingredients) . If you have difficulty to getting Korean chili, you can also use chili powder that is sold in the market but choose a good quality chili powder.

Health

Kimchi is mentioned as one of five "health food" in the world according to Health Magazine. Kimchi is rich in vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), calcium and iron and also has active bacterial cultures like lactobacilli, which is good for the digestive system and possibly able to prevent from getting cancer. Vegetables have long time known as good for health and good bacteria in kimchi is much more than yogurt. The use a lot of red chillies into kimchi also cam increase the rate of metabolism in the body. Kimchi contains fiber. It is also low in calories, supplying 80 percent of the amount of ascorbic acid and carotene which the body needs for the day. According to researchers from Seoul National University, there is some evidence indicates that kimchi may be used to treat birds infected with bird flu. A total of 13 chickens infected by bird flu were fed with extract of kimchi and 11 chickens are beginning to recover a week later. But currently there is no evidence that similar research could be used to treat humans.

Kimchi it’s selected as one of World’s Healthiest Foods by Health Magazine and also it’s featured in the book, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth written by Dr. Jonny Bowden.