Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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The Asian market sells homemade kimchi and I bought a large glass jar of it. I ate some today and thought it tasted too strong/spicy. I also started worrying about whether they put MSG or too much sugar in it. I ended up rinsing it and at the end of it, you could barely tell it was kimchi because there wasn't a trace of red. I actually liked the taste a lot better. It was much milder, but still had that sour twist that I like.

I guess my question is whether there is a lot of the good probiotics that I washed away from rinsing it. Are the benefits of the probiotics mostly in the cabbage? Or is most of it in the juice?

flag	asked Apr 16 2012 at 1:46 Sunny Beaches 6,064●6●26

I realize this might sound a little confusing. I used to eat it with a heaping spoon, juices and all into a bowl with whatever I was eating. But taste-wise, I prefer it plainer and a little drier. – Sunny Beaches Apr 16 2012 at 2:48

Laina · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-16 15:36:53Z UTC

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My MIL is Korean and makes kimchi from scratch and never uses sugar or MSG in it. She will leave the fish sauce out if I tell her to, but I'm fine either way. Instead of sugar, she uses Korean pears or apples. There's enough salt used in the recipe to draw the water out of the cabbage that she doesn't need to use the MSG for kimchi, though will use it for other Korean recipes.

answered Apr 16 2012 at 15:36

Laina
2,952●3●12

	I am so glad I found out that some people use fruit in kimchi! That sounds heavenly. Thanks!! – Sunny Beaches Apr 16 2012 at 18:47
	Of course! My impression is that if you're getting authentic kimchi, they're using fruit. If your Asian market has people mixing it on site with rubber gloves and goggles on, it's probably pretty authentic :) – Laina Apr 16 2012 at 21:01

Matt · Answer 2 · 2012-04-16 02:05:16Z UTC

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You'd have to really work hard to sterilize it, so I wouldn't sweat it. It's got some good bugs still on it, even if you rinsed it with disinfectant-laden domestic tap water.

answered Apr 16 2012 at 2:05

Matt
36.5k●2●10●69

Thanks for letting me know I shouldn't worry too much!! – Sunny Beaches Apr 16 2012 at 2:40

VB · Answer 3 · 2012-04-16 10:18:10Z UTC

I make my own. It is SO EASY!!! I do not add fish sauce (I add a little more salt instead of it) and I use fresh pepper, not flakes. I add apple, not sugar. My kimchi is much better than real Korean, because I make it the way Koreans made it 200 years ago (I keep it in a clay jar and mix it by hand, no rubber gloves).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fznTL6TzsqI&feature=plcp&context=C40c61d0VDvjVQa1PpcFNRmNzf42uyuXAL0JOVnxfftSdOQ2L94T0%3D

Do you know what others say about my kimchi?

My mom, who has never tried kimchi in her life, after I brought her a jar, keeps telling me to bring more! Since my mom is a great cook, this is the best compliment I could ever dream about.

LaurenM · Answer 4 · 2012-04-16 09:03:15Z UTC

It's not hard to make; why don't you pick up the right spice from the same place that sells the ready-made stuff, and do it yourself? Then you'll know what's in it and be able to decide how you want it. Try this one: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Traditional-Napa-Cabbage-Kimchi-233839

Does rinsing kimchi affect the probiotic content?

4 Answers