When it comes to Korean Food recommendations, the list won’t be completed without Korea’s National Dish一 Kimchi, a food filled with nutrition, Koreans really love. 

What is Kimchi?

Originating from Korea, Kimchi is a side dish which is high in fiber and low in fat. This spicy dish is also known as Korea’s National Dish since Koreans always have it on their table during meals. Over the years, it has become highly popular, which is why you can now buy one from your local Asian Grocery stores and health food shops near you. 

Kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish which sometimes has an added radish in it. It is red in color and is mixed with vinegar, salt, chili peppers, garlic, and many more.  It’s a common side dish that is loved by most Koreans. Most of the time, they mix the Kimchi with Fried Rice, noodles, and soups.

However, there’s more to Kimchi than just merely adding flavor to your meals. It can also bring you loads of benefits. 

Here are Top 4 Benefits of Eating Kimchi:

1. Promotes Healthy Food Digestion

Because Kimchi is a fermented dish, it means that the side dish contains millions of good bacteria which is also known as lactobacilli. These good bacteria dwell in our digestive system to help us process and digest the food that we eat. They normally live in it. However, their regular count within our body drops down due to stress. If these team of good bacteria loses a lot of their members, you will get diarrhea and even indigestion. So, if you’re someone who often gets indigestion and diarrhea, you should start working on the increase of your good bacteria. 

Fermented foods often give a good amount of good bacteria, now add the fiber from the leaves of Kimchi, which guarantees protection from indigestion and constipation. Aside from that, researchers also found out that these good bacteria can ward off pathogens from the usual food that we eat, which blocks our digestive tracts— keeping you away from any gastrointestinal diseases.

2. Boosts Your Immune System

According to researchers, the immune system in our body exists within our digestive system. This means that the food you eat and the drinks you take can greatly affect how your immune system works. Take junk foods, and your immune system will weaken. Which is why we should eat foods that can help us boost our immune system, and Kimchi is one of these foods. 

Aside from Lactobacilli is also rich in Probiotics, which is the first in the line of defense when it comes to protecting our body from the different types of bacteria entering our body. In addition to that, Kimchi has a red pepper, which is known for its antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties. Combine this with the Cabbage’s biochemicals, namely sulfide, and isocyanate that has antimicrobial properties. 

This means that if you want to give your immune system a boost, just eat Kimchi. 

3. Prevents You From Craving Too Many Food

A lot of people are guilty of drooling over every videos and image of on the internet, which causes us to buy the food that we crave instinctively— even if its no longer healthy for us. Koreans have been very strict when it comes to eating healthy foods. This is the very reason over the years, and Kimchi was never thrown out of their tables. 

Aside from having low calories despite being packed with a lot of nutrients, it can satisfy your hunger. This is due to the main ingredients, radishes, and cabbages. Both vegetables have a high amount of fiber, which is a huge contributor to making you feel as if you’re already full, thus preventing you from eating more. Plus, Kimchi also has probiotics that can help you drop some weight and prevent you from getting addicted to sugar.

4. Reduces Cholesterol

Korean Researchers from Pusan National University have also found evidence that eating Kimchi can help balance out your glucose and cholesterol level in your body. They asked 100 men to eat Kimchi every day. These men were divided into 2 separate groups. Group A had at least a pound of Kimchi while Group B had a smaller portion of it.

After a week of eating Kimchi, both groups surprisingly had the same amount of cholesterol level drop. This just proved that Kimchi could greatly help lower the cholesterol level down, even if it’s taken in a small amount. 

How to Make Your Own Kimchi?

The entire blog would just be a waste if the Kimchi Recipe wouldn’t be given.

Ingredients:

• 250g of Cabbage Leaves (Wombok)
• 3 tbsp of Korean Red Pepper (Powder)
• 1/4 tsp of Salt
• 3 tbsp of Soy Sauce
• 3 tbsp of Water
• 10g of Finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup of green shallots (Chopped) 
• One pc. of finely minced clove garlic (large)

How to Prepare Kimchi

1. Chop your wombok cabbages, ideally around 2 to 3cm wide and 3in long and place then in a large bowl

2. Add salt to your bowl of cabbage, then massage them using your hands until the cabbage gets soft

3. Let your salted cabbage sit on clean water for an hour

4. After letting it sit for an hour, rinse the cabbage with running water for 1 minute (do not throw the salted water yet, you’re going to need it in the future)

5. Place your cabbage in a clean bowl

6. Grab a different bowl for your Kimchi Paste. Mix your ginger, soy sauce, red pepper powder and around 1/4 cup of your salted water from the step no. 4

7. Add the chopped green shallots and mix it well with your paste

8. Bring your Kimchi Paste and Wombok Cabbage in one container and mix it well

9. Place your Kimchi into a clean jar. Make sure that the container is airtight.

10. Let your Kimchi ferment in a warm place for 3 or more days

Takeaways

Your health your investment, if you give it healthy food, then you will definitely give you good returns. Through eating Kimchi, not only will you be able to strengthen your immune system, improve digestion, or prevent you from eating too much, but it can also help you lower down your cholesterol.