What is Kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made with salted fermented vegetables, which has been a staple in Korean households for generations.
The components can vary depending on the region and season in which they are produced, but cabbage (Beachu) is the most common vegetable used to make kimchi.
Made from vegetables, garlic, ginger and traditionally fish sauce, it is very flavourful and nutrient-dense. The mix is pickled and fermented, which was originally a way to preserve the vegetables for the winter months. It is simple to make it a vegan dish by keeping all the ingredients plant-based and removing fish/anchovy sauce and shrimp paste.
In more recent years, Kimchi has become a worldwide health food trend as people have become more aware of its benefits.
The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in kimchi can provide important health benefits as it contains probiotics, and helps support the immune system and reduce inflammation. Choline, which is found in kimchi, is a natural compound vital for maintaining your cells, muscles, nervous system, mood, and memory. Kimchi is also rich in vitamin K, which helps against blood clotting and keeps your bones from becoming brittle.
How can you eat Kimchi?
Kimchi can be eaten as a condiment, an ingredient, a side dish or even as a dip.
Here are some typical Korean dishes or ways you could eat Kimchi:
- Dubu kimchi (두부김치): tofu with stir-fried kimchi
- Kimchi fried rice (볶음밥): simple stir fried dish of rice and kimchi
- Kimchi jjigae/stew (김치찌개): stew best made with 'older'/aged kimchi
- Korean bbq (고기구이): kimchi used as a side dish or cooked on the bbq
- Bibimbap (비빔밥): bowl of rice topped with vegetables and meat + kimchi
- Bibim-naengmyeon (비빔냉면): cold buckwheat noodles, topped with kimchi
- Kimchi pancakes (Kimchijeon 김치전): as an ingredient
- Cheese & kimchi toastie
- Kimchi burger: add kimchi as a burger ingredient
- Add kimchi as a topping to any noodle dish e.g. ramen
- Mix kimchi into savoury dishes like hash browns or potato pancakes
- Use kimchi as a filling in an omelet
How to store your Kimchi?
When you receive your jar of Kay's kimchi, there is a production date label on the lid which indicates how long it has already fermented. As our kimchi is 100% natural with naturally occurring bacteria cultures, it is constantly fermenting. Each person has their own preference of how they like their kimchi, whether it is 'new' kimchi i.e. freshly made and still has it's sweetness, or 'old' kimchi i.e. longer fermented, therefore, more pickled and soured/mature.
If you leave your jar of kimchi out of the fridge, it ferments quicker, therefore should be eaten quicker. If you leave it in the fridge, it ferments slower and gives more time to eat it.
We would usually recommend that Kay's Kimchi tastes best at around the 3 week and later mark, refrigerated. We definitely recommend that you keep our kimchi refrigerated.
Please be aware that kimchi is constantly fermenting and while it ferments, it produces gas/bubbles. Therefore there is the chance that it could leak or 'explode' during transit. If it is the case that you have recieved the jar and it is damaged, please contact us directly. While it is kept in your fridge, please 'burp' the jar occasionally i.e. open it every few days - once a week, to let out the air from the jar. This helps with fermentation for the best tasting result.