Kimchi, Korean Vegetable Going Worldwide

One time, I was given my neighbor a chinese cabbage. Actually I don't really like these vegetables. I had time to think, what do you want to process these vegetables like? not long after, I was reminded of one of the recipes on YouTube. Recipes featuring kimchi from Korea, coincidentally the ones featuring that recipe are my favorite channel. Of course I have no doubt about the quality of the processing. The next day, I immediately executed the vegetables. The seasonings are without preservatives and without msg, the vegetables are mixed with garlic, ginger, small shrimp, and of course chili powder as the most important spice. I store the mustard greens that have been processed into kimchi in an airtight box, and the next day I immediately taste them. It turns out, wow, this vegetable is addictive, increases appetite, tastes fresh, and there are no side effects so far. Not only that, the benefits that I feel when eating these kimchi vegetables are that my skin becomes cleaner and brighter, the wrinkles on my hands begin to disappear, the skin becomes smooth (that's what my husband said), smooth bowel movements, the body gets fresher and fitter. That's the experience I got about kimchi vegetables, how about those of you who have tasted it?

History of Kimchi.

Actually, kimchi has been around for a long time. According to Sigyeong, Korean linguistics, kimchi was discovered around 4,000 years ago, during the 3rd Age Kingdom in Korea. Kimchi making is done by shredding it, almost similar to now (now using knives for cutting). They (the Korean people in ancient times) prefer to store kimchi (as a fermentation process before eating) using jugs made of earthenware. This source is obtained from the book Sakajip by Seo which was written in the 15th century. Chicory greens are their mainstay, and of course chili powder, chili paste, and salt to go with it.

The way kimchi is stored in winter is quite different from other seasons. In winter, kimchi can be stored for one season (winter), and usually they store the kimchi in the ground. During summer, kimchi can only be stored for 3-7 days. So they spend more time making kimchi during that season. To keep it cool, they store kimchi by hanging it into a well. In spring, kimchi can be stored for 5-10 days. The purpose of storing kimchi in a cooler place is because kimchi does not last long when stored in hot or warm areas. Apart from a cool place, kimchi cannot be eaten very well. 

With time, kimchi has many variations. The familiar taste of kimchi is spicy, but there is also kimchi which tends to be sweet, even in broth like nabak kimchi. So, if you count, there are 100 types of kimchi in Korea. Kimchi that is widely found in the world market, both in the form of standing pouches when packaged in supermarkets or restaurants, is kimchi cabbage or baechu kimchi. It's very familiar, and of course people think that the main ingredient of kimchi is chinese cabbage! but not everything is like that, there are many vegetables that can be made kimchi, radishes can also be used for making kimchi, carrots, young radishes, even apples and pears too. Diced white radish is called kkakdugi. Chinese cabbage and radish that are processed with apples and pears so that they tend to be sweet is called nabak kimchi. What if the chinese cabbage has not been harvested? Koreans will make kimchi from radish, chives, and green onions. This kimchi is called yeolmu kimchi, which is usually eaten in summer. Cucumber is also used as a raw ingredient for kimchi. They named it kimchi oi sobagi. The kimchi texture is watery, crunchy, and fresh. Usually eaten in spring and summer.

So how do the spices function as a help in the fermentation process in kimchi? it turns out that chili powder functions as an increase in the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria are useful as a help to smooth the digestive process, this is very good for people with constipation or difficulty defecating. Sugar and salt act as a deterrent to food spoilage and reduce the water content released by kimchi vegetables. Kimchi is rich in Vitamin C, this can help your immune system, especially in a present which is full of health hazards.

How do you eat kimchi? 

Kimchi can be eaten anytime after fermentation. Kimchi can be eaten with rice, noodles, soup and other foods, even kimchi can be eaten directly without a side dish. It tastes spicy, sour, and fresh combined in your mouth. So that it makes a good taste on your tongue. 

What are the benefits of eating kimchi? 

As previously mentioned, kimchi brings benefits to the digestive process of your body. Kimchi contains probiotics such as lactobacillus. This results in aiding the digestive process in your body in a healthy manner. This is very helpful in the diet process to lose your weight. Kimchi is rich in Vitamin C as your body's immune. Traditional kimchi is usually free of preservatives and msg. So that can be said, kimchi can be eaten as a fiber-rich food and is good for the body. Natural ingredients such as ginger, garlic, and chili are natural spices that are safe for all humans. Is kimchi high in calories? certainly not. Kimchi contains only 18 kcal calories in 100 grams of kimchi. In addition, kimchi also contains phenolic compounds, chlorophyll, and carotenoids which function as slowing down aging and fighting free radicals. This has been published in the International Journal of Medicinal Foods. Does kimchi also fight yeast infection? the answer is yes, one of which is the fungus Candida albicans. Kimchi can fight these microbes. For those of you who suffer from heart disease, kimchi is good for your health. Cholesterol sufferers are also safe to consume kimchi, because kimchi can reduce bad cholesterol levels in your body. Due to the high content of Vitamin C and Vitamin A, kimchi can function to suppress the growth of cancer cells in the body. Kimchi can nourish your eyes, because it contains high Vitamin A.

Traditional Kimchi Recipes 

Ingredients : 

1 chinese cabbage (if not available, can be replaced with other vegetables) Salt to taste 1 cup chili powder 6 pieces of garlic ½ an onion 1 segment of ginger 60 ml of fish sauce ¼ sweet pear 2 tablespoons of saujeot shrimp 1 carrot, thinly sliced. 1 radish, thinly sliced. 

Dissolve until the water boils: 

1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour 200 ml of water ½ tablespoon brown sugar. 

How to make: 

Wash the chinese cabbage thoroughly. Cut it in half. Apply 4 tablespoons of salt to all parts of the chinese cabbage sheet until evenly distributed, especially at the base of the leaf. Leave the chinese cabbage for 2 hours. After 2 hours and the greens look wilted and watery, wash the chinese cabbage thoroughly from salt. Let the solution of glutinous rice flour, brown sugar and water have been dissolved until it boils, after it cools, mix it with 1 cup of chili powder (if you don't really like spicy, you can reduce it). Mix the ingredients using a food processor, namely garlic, sliced ​​onions, ginger, fish sauce, sweet pear, and saujeot shrimp until smooth. Add these ingredients to the chili powder solution. Add the carrot and radish slices. Then coat the spices on the cabbage sheets until evenly distributed. Cover the kimchi dough using airtight media such as jars and others. Leave it for 1-2 days for it to runny and sour. Kimchi is ready to be enjoyed.