Love The Stuff

I enjoy kimchi and have ever since my dad brought some back from when he was stationed in Korea. I was 14 and must have eaten half his stash. Fermented cabbage, yum! I just don't eat it that regularly. I think I'll make some Korean spinach, buy some kimchi and grill a piece of fish for dinner. Sounds good to me.

Koreans' Kimchi Adulation, With a Side of Skepticism - Los Angeles Times: "
Nowadays, with refrigeration, less salt is needed, Park said. Instead of preserving kimchi by burying it in earthenware jars in the garden, many Koreans own specially designed refrigerators to keep it at ideal temperatures.

The beneficial power of kimchi comes from the lactic acid bacteria (also found in yogurt and other fermented foods) that helps in digestion and, according to some researchers, boosts immunity. In addition, the vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin C and antioxidants, which are believed to protect cells from carcinogens. The high fiber content aids bowel function.

Although the most recognizable kind of kimchi is made with Chinese cabbage, other variants are made with radish, garlic stalks, eggplant and mustard leaf, among other ingredients. In all, there are about 200 types of kimchi — plastic models of which are on display at the kimchi museum in Seoul.

Korean pride swelled when the U.S. magazine Health listed kimchi in its March issue as one of the world's five most healthful foods. (The others are yogurt, olive oil, lentils and soy.)

In fact, interest in kimchi's curative properties has risen proportionally with fears related to diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian flu."

Too much spicy food isn't good for you, but in small amounts it is very healthful. Kimchi isn't so much spicy as fragrant.

Tags: kimchi, healthful food, fermented cabbage