A Year in Seoul - video by Maddy

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Let's Talk About Kimchi, Baby


















While the number one question students ask me is undoubtedly, "Do you have a boyfriend?", "Do you like kimchi?" runs a close second. Korea loves its kimchi and its fairly easy to see why.

Kimchi is made from mixing and fermenting vegetables with garlic, red pepper, vinegar and salt. The most common version is made with cabbage, but kimchi can be made with many other ingredients such as radishes or green onions. The result is a spicy super food regularly named as one of the healthiest foods in the world.

Koreans eat kimchi at nearly every meal, and it has been a staple of their diet for centuries. It is believed that the consumption of this food aids digestion and boosts immunity. Indeed, studies have shown lowered cholesterol, improved intestinal health, essential vitamins and minerals, and live probiotics are just a few of kimchi's considerable charms.

If you are going to enjoy kimchi, you better like your food with a lot of garlic and a lot of spice. Luckily for me, I can never have enough of either, so naturally, kimchi and I get along perfectly. Plus, the Polish side of me is all about anything pickled/fermented and anything with cabbage. At every Korean meal you'll be served kimchi and I for one would never turn it down. I think my students and my body will approve.

2 comments:

  1. that sounds like kombucha!! except kombucha is a drink. maybe my favorite drink ever.

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  2. OMG i love kimchi and everyone here (in SD) thinks i'm crazy!!! i have a huuuuuuuge 1 lb tub of it in my fridge right now, i got it in Korea Town up in LA, and my roommates say it smells wierd. hahahahha i eat it for my meals sometimes if i'm too lazy to cook. omg we still have similarities even tho it's been so long!!! love you and miss you - Rannie Ran aka Randall White

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