Add Kimchi to Pretty Much Every Recipe, Unless You Don't Like Being Happy (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you only eat kimchi everyday? ›

A study published Tuesday in South Korea found that people who ate moderate amounts of kimchi daily are at a lower risk for developing obesity, with different types of kimchi being associated with staving off different forms of obesity.

This distinctive tangy taste and abundance of variations epitomises why people love kimchi so much: it's easy to make, very versatile, has a satisfying flavour, and is great for your health to boot.

Kimchi is a fermented vegetable dish that can add a spicy, tangy kick to your meals. Although it can be high in sodium, it also serves up the good-for-you probiotics, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help your body ward off illness and stay healthy.

Seafood flavor and vegetarian alternatives: Seafood gives kimchi an umami flavor. Different regions and families may use fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, oysters, and other seafood. Use about 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, salted shrimp paste, or a combination of the two.

The study found that consuming up to three servings of kimchi daily was linked to an 11% lower prevalence of obesity compared to those who ate less than one serving. Specifically, in men, three or more servings of baechu kimchi daily correlated with a 10% decrease in overall and abdominal obesity rates.

Along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, kimchi contains natural probiotic bacteria. If you eat them regularly, the probiotics in fermented foods can be beneficial to your gut microbiome. Studies suggest that eating kimchi on a daily basis could help to improve some digestive problems.

Kimchi has an excellent nutritional profile. The dish is low in calories but packed with nutrients like iron, folate, and vitamins B6 and K.

However, there were a couple of downsides to eating too much kimchi, her team added. First, the popular side dish contains a lot of salt, which is never great for health. Secondly, beyond the one-to-three servings per day that did show a benefit, eating more kimchi was linked with obesity overall, the study found.

Kimchi's potential beneficial effect on the gut may well aid better moods, too. 'When your gut is unhappy it's likely that your mood will also be imbalanced as serotonin is produced in your gut - the happy hormone,' says Trotman.

The most common reaction to fermented foods is a temporary increase in gas and bloating. This is the result of excess gas being produced after probiotics kill harmful gut bacteria and fungi. Probiotics secrete antimicrobial peptides that kill harmful pathogenic organisms like Salmonella and E. Coli.

What happens if you eat kimchi on an empty stomach? ›

In short: it depends. Generally speaking, if your gut is in good shape and your body typically responds well to fermented foods, eating them on an empty stomach should be completely fine. “Fermented foods are typically fine to eat on an empty stomach since they help to support digestion,” Greenfield says.

The shelf life of many store-bought kimchi brands is around eight months to a year. But, rely on your common sense. If you see any mold, toss it. If the smell changes from the usual expected sourness and pungency, to the point of being unpleasant, it may be time to get rid of it and buy more or start a new batch.

Add radish: You can add Korean radish, daikon radish or red radish into the kimchi jar to help draw out the salt. Taste the next day and your kimchi should be less salty.

And more beef, more rice and more kimchi…you'll start to notice some tingling sensation in your taste buds. Things are starting to get warmer but you can consume it at a pace where you don't overwhelm your mouth with any singular flavor. There are many different levels of spice in Korea.

The basic ratio is two parts honey to one part kimchi brine.

(The honey will taste as spicy as the kimchi you have, so keep that in mind.) Add more brine if you want your kimchi spicier and thinner, and less brine if you want to keep it thicker and less spicy.

What happens when you eat too much kimchi? Since kimchi is fermented and spicy, you might experience uncomfortable gastric repercussions. Usually those with IBS or other gastrointestinal issues are more prone to sensitivity, especially since kimchi is also spicy.

“Kimchi can be eaten alone or paired with rice, used in stew, and even eaten alongside eggs for breakfast,” says Best.

Nutritional figures will vary depending on the ingredients used. An 80g serving contributes a portion towards your five-a-day.