Kimchi. A fermented food and probiotic.
Kimchi. A fermented food and probiotic.
🍎 “Health or Disease. Everything happens on the end of your fork”
🍎 We’re living in an anti-bacterial world of chlorinated water, hand sanitisers, anti-bacterial soap, and the sterilisation of everything. This chemical and anti-bacterial exposure has narrowed the biodiversity within us…particularly of our gut microbiome whose volume and diversity determines our overall health and wellness.
🍎 Because of this, fermented foods are now a new food trend, known to have probiotic benefits. The whole phenomenon of fermentation has growing interest…and is understood to be the desirable transformative action of foods by micro-organisms.
🍎 The word fermentation originates from the word ‘ to boil’…because of the CO2 or bubbling that results.
🍎 Not all fermented foods have live bacteria…cooking or heating will destroy any live bacteria.
🍎 Louis Pasteur was involved in fermentation 150 years ago in the invention of penicillin.
🍎 Kimchi is a well known and popular Korean dish that has been eaten for centuries. It can in fact be traced back to BC. Approximately 1.5 million tonnes of Kimchi is consumed in Korea each year.
🍎 Kimchi is considered a superfood as the fermentation process increases the micronutrient capacity and availability of the veggies. Kimchi is also easier for the bodt to digest than the veggies in an unfermented state.
🍎 Making Kimchi involves the lacto-fermentation of vegetables by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). Traditionally, Kimchi is made with shredded napa cabbage, carrots, onions, radish, red pepper, garlic, mustard seeds, red chilli (flakes), ginger, leek, pear and apple.
🍎 What I found incredible is that no LAB can be found on any living growing plants. It seems that cutting the veggies, releases their natural plant sugars (natural fermentation fuel) and the LAB. LAB is the primary fermenting bacteria in Kimchi.
🍎 The LAB content of garlic is exceptionally high, as is that of Capsaicin, the active component of red chillis.
🍎 The bacterial diversity of the brew decreases more slowly when capsaicin is present and the overall bacterial diversity is higher when garlic and capsaicin are included in the Kimchi brew.
🍎 The salt that is added to the shredded or chopped veg serves to protect the brew from pathogens and unwanted microbials but is also necessary for the increased production and healthy functioning of the LAB. Rubbing salt into the veggies also increases the release of their natural sugars.
🍎 The four main variables that protect a Kimchi brew from becoming contaminated are:
- Salt. Natural unrefined mineral rich sea salt is the most ideal. Iodized table salt is an absolute NO NO. Himalayan or Kosher salt are other alternatives.
- Cool temperature. Traditionally, Kimchi brews were made in earthenware pots that were then buried underground for 3-7 days.
- Low pH (less than 4.3).
- Anaerobic environment.
🍎 Initially, the heterofermentors are most active in the brew and will produce a combination of lactic acid and acetic acid. As the pH of the brew drops, the homofermenters will begin to dominate. The homofermenters only produce lactic acid, which will give the Kimchi a more buttery and softer flavour.
🍎 Kimchi has a major reliance on native microbes. These native microbes have the power to tend for themselves when presented with appropriate conditions.
🍎 The three most common LAB homofermenters found in Kimchi are :
- Leuconostoc
- Is shown to stimulate IgA, the immune protein that protects mucosal surfaces such as the digestive tract from pathogenic invaders
- Keeps the intestinal cells healthy and close together
- Lactobacillus
- May reduce cholesterol
- Can improve the symptoms of IBS
- Can help treat and prevent vaginal infections
- May promote weightloss (precursor to Leptin – satiety hormone)
- Weissella
- Resistant to the low pH of stomach and bile acid
- Inhibit pathogenic bacteria, increasing host defense
- Adhere to Caco-2 cells, reducing adhesion by pathogens and gut wall permeability, thereby increasing host defense
- Adhere to oral epithelial cells, reducing sulphide components which cause halitosis
- Lower cholesterol
🍎 Yeast in a Kimchi brew is undesirable. Not because it’s necessarily harmful but because yeast will give the Kimchi a musty taste. A clean uncontaminated environment will prevent yeast invaders and indirect inoculation of the brew by other undesirables.
Kimchi Recipe
🍎 Ingredients:
- 1 x cabbage
- 2 x carrots
- 1 x beetroot
- 1 x sweet potato
- 2 x apples
- Small piece of ginger
- One clove of garlic
- Red chilli to taste
- 1 tsp natural unrefined Sea or Himalayan salt
- 1 glass mason jar
🍎 Method:
- Shred cabbage, put in large bowl and sprinkle the salt over it
- ‘Massage’ the salt into the cabbage for about five minutes
- Then squeeze the cabbage until you have a fair amount of liquid in the bowl
- Grate all the other ingredients and add to the cabbage
- ‘Massage’ and mix for another few minutes
- Take handfuls of the mix and place into the glass mason jar
- Each time you add another handful, push the veg down so it remains submerged in the liquid
- Once the jar is full, close and keep on counter out of direct sunlight for 4-7 days
- Place the jar on a saucer as it will most likely bubble over a few times
- ‘Burp’ the jar by opening it momentarily every day and pushing the veg down to ensure it stays submerged. ‘Burping’ releases excess CO2 and will prevent the jar from exploding
- After five days, bottle and refrigerate
🍎 Serving suggestions for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner:
- On sourdough bread
- With an omelette
- With lentils, quinoa or black beans
- In a salad
- On its own, straight out the jar with a spoon
July 2020
Blog post written by Chantal Du Chenne, Health and Lifestyle Coach and owner/ operator of the DripBar.
BIO: Chantal is a B.Sc.Hons Allied Health with an international diploma in Nutrition and Sports Nutrition. Chantal works as a Gut Health & Lifestyle Coach specialising in the management of health conditions associated with leaky gut and dysbiosis (imbalance) of the gut microbiome.
Over her 25 year career, Chantal has held various positions within the health and wellness industry – including 10 years as the Executive Head of Vodacom’s corporate wellness & mobile health programs. Chantal is the owner/ founder of the DripBar which offers vitamin and mineral drip therapy in improving micronutrient deficiencies. She is also the founder/owner of a Kombucha brewery which produces the brand of ‘booch’ called theFarmacy.
Chantal is a competitive cyclist, a plant strong vegan and mom to two grown up girls.
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This blog post contains information that is not designed to take the place of,
substitute, or replace any form and method of professional or medical advice
and treatment or medicine. All content is the author’s opinion and is not
intended to diagnose and remedy. The facts and figures contained in this
document are presented solely for informational and educational purposes
only.