Kimchi is One of Korea's most traditional and representative food. Kimchi is made by salting cabbage, and adding red-pepper powder, garlic, ginger, scallions and radishes. These nutritious foods are mixed and allowed to ferment in order to create what we know as kimchi. The Korean people enjoy this representative side dish, which is well known for its spicy flavor, with rice. Varying in types depending on the season and location, kimchi offers ingredients rich in vitamin C, Calcium, lactic bacterium and many other nutritious substances. Some of the foods made with kimchi include: kimchi-jjigae (stew), kimchi-guk (soup), kimchi-jeon (a Korean-style pancake), and kimchi fried rice. These days kimchi has been fused into Western style foods such as hamburgers and pizza, which are loved by many.
Origin of Kimchi
For as long as humans have been cultivating they have enjoyed the nutritional elements of vegetables. However, the cold winter months, when cultivation was practically impossible, soon led to the development of a storage method knowns as 'pickling'. Rich in vitamins and minerals, kimchi was conceived in Korea around the 7th century.
The Origin of the Name, Kimchi
It is believed that the name kimchi originated from shimchae (salting of vegetable) which went through some phonetic changes: shimchae - dimchae - kimchae - kimchi.
Reasons Why Kimchi Was Developed in Korea
Few fermented vegetable foods are found worldwide. Some possible reasons why kimchi was developed as a fermented food especially in Korea are as follows: (1) vegetables were popular to the ancient people in Korea whose main industry was agriculture; (2) Koreans had a remarkable technology for salting fish which was frequently used as a seasoning; (3) cabbages (brassica) appropriate for making kimchi were widely grown.
Benefits of kimchi
Well-fermented kimchi has anti-biotic functions as lactic acid bacteria produced in the process of fermentation suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria.
This bacteria not only gives a sourish flavor to matured kimchi but also prevents excessive fermentation by restraining growth of other bacteria in the intestines.
Not only that, substances in kimchi prevent hyperacidity resulting from excessive intake of meat and other acidic foods.
Kimchi has been scientifically proven to be high in nutrition and is often recommended as a valuable food source both at home and abroad. In fact, there has been a significant increase in kimchi exports in recent years. Korean immigrants to China, Russia, Hawaii and Japan first introduced kimchi abroad, and have continued to eat kimchi as a side dish. It gradually gained popularity even among foreigners. Accordingly, kimchi may be found wherever Koreans live. In America and Japan especially, where relatively many Koreans live, packaged kimchi is easily available. In the past, the production and consumption of kimchi was confined to Korean societies, however, in recent years it has become a globally recognized food.
While Ngaari is to Manipuris, Kimchi is to Koreans.:)
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