Korean Kimchi: Promoting Healthy Meals Through Cultural Tradition

J Ethn Foods 4 (2017) 172e180

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Journal of Ethnic Foods

journal homepage: http://journalofethnicfoods.net

Original article Korean kimchi: promoting healthy meals through cultural tradition

* Nobuko Hongu a, , Angela S. Kim a, Asuka Suzuki b, Hope Wilson c, Karen C. Tsui d, Sunmin Park e a Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA b Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, HI, USA c Yavapai/Gila County Extension Ofﬁce, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA d College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA e Department of Food and Nutrition, Hoseo University, Chungnam, South Korea article info abstract

Article history: Background: Kimchi, a spicy traditional Korean side dish, is made with a variety of fermented vegetables, Received 28 July 2017 such as Napa cabbage (baechu), hot red pepper, garlic, ginger, and other spices. Throughout generations Received in revised form for thousands of years, kimchi has been served daily at virtually all meals in Korean households. It gives 10 August 2017 the flavors of garlic, ginger, scallions, and chili. Kimchi is an ingredient with many culinary benefits as it is Accepted 12 August 2017 commonly added to soups, noodles, and rice dishes. In addition to its exotic and refreshing taste, kimchi Available online 19 August 2017 also has its own unique nutritional value and ingredients that are linked to promoting health and pre- venting disease. In this article, the varieties of kimchi, nutritional values, health benefits and “cook-with- Keywords: ” kimchi kimchi recipes (incorporating kimchi into today's Western dishes) are explored. kimchi recipes Methods: Data were collected through literature review, direct observation at grocery stores, and in- Korean food terviews for cooking recipes. nutritional values Results: Four types of literatures (peer-reviewed journals, websites, books, and United States (US) Uni- versity articles) were reviewed about kimchi. Prices of each type of kimchi were checked at four to five Asian markets in Tucson, Arizona for 2 years, and averaged. There were only few cents differences in 2 years. One family home-style kimchi recipe and four “cook-with-kimchi” recipes were introduced in this article. Conclusion: The availability and many varieties of kimchi exist in the US. Despite new trends and changes in the US, kimchi continues to be a significant important staple in many Korean and non-Korean families in the US. © 2017 Korea Food Research Institute. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

1. Introduction expanding globally. In the present day, the popularity of kimchi has grown and it is enjoyed not only as a side dish, but also as a key Kimchi is a well-known fermented vegetable food originating ingredient in a variety of Korean and Westernized dishes. Its spicy from Korea (Fig. 1) [1]. It was invented thousands of years ago and and crisp flavors blend in with a wide range of foods. In this article, unique recipes making kimchi have been passed down from gen- basic information about kimchi, Korea (place of origin of kimchi), eration to generation in Korea [2]. Kimchi is made with many va- nutritional values, health benefits of kimchi, and “cook-with- rieties of vegetables (e.g., cabbage, radish, cucumber, etc.), Korean kimchi” recipes are introduced. red pepper, and other various seasonings and spices, including jeotgal (fish seasoning) [3]. There are about 200 types of kimchi in 2. Korea e place of origin of kimchi Korea. Each region of Korea has created many types of kimchi [4]. Kimchi has long served as Korea's national dish, and is truly one of Korea is located on the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia the most innovative Korean foods [5]. Kimchi has recently been (Fig. 2). The peninsula is surrounded by the Yellow Sea to the west, and the East China Sea to the south. Since 1945, Korea has been divided into two states; North and South Korea. North Korea is * Corresponding author. Department of Nutritional Sciences, 406 Shantz, 1177 East 4th Street, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA. bordered by China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast. E-mail address: [email protected] (N. Hongu). South Korea is located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jef.2017.08.005 2352-6181/© 2017 Korea Food Research Institute. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). N. Hongu et al / Korean kimchi 173

metabolite concentrations during the process. Particularly, the ontogeny of Weissella cibariada lactic acid-fermenting bacil- lusdhas been shown to be inﬂuenced by the addition of gochugaru (vs. no red pepper). It has been recently reported that W. cibaria possesses anti-inﬂammatory, anticancer, and antibacterial proper- ties [8].

3.2. Napa cabbageemain ingredient of kimchi

Napa cabbage originated in China, is also known as baechu (Korea), hakusai (Japanese), and pechay or tsina (Filipino). It is a cool season vegetable and commonly grown in many states in the U.S. during fall and winter [9], but it is available year-round in California and some other states in the U.S. Napa cabbage, the main ingredient of kimchi, is a barrel-shaped dense head with a firm, crunchy texture and milder flavor than traditional green head cabbage [10] (Fig. 4) Similar to other green vegetables, Napa cabbage is a good source of many vitamins and minerals. Napa cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked. When shopping for Napa cabbage, look for fresh, crisp-looking leaves that are firmly compact. At home, store Napa cabbage inside the refrigerator, wrapped with newspaper for later use. Pests are commonly found in leafy cabbages. Thus, wash thoroughly in cold running water prior to use. Pepper spot, another name for black fleck on the midribs or leaf of Napa cabbage, de- velops from a physiological problem [10] and adversely affects the appearance, but is ultimately safe to consume.

4. Nutritional and health beneﬁts of kimchi

The global expansion of kimchi is attributable to not only its Fig. 1. Kimchi is fermented vegetables, most commonly Napa cabbage (baechu) with unique taste and flavor, but also to its notable nutritional and health chili powder, scallions, garlic, or ginger, or more. Kimchi has long served as Korea's benefits. To explain the nutritional values of kimchi, Napa cabbage national dish, and is truly one of the most innovative Korean foods [5]. kimchidthe most traditional and popular kimchidwas reviewed here (See Table 1). The population of Korea is about 75 million (North Korea: 25 million, South Korea: 50 million). The most representative food 4.1. Calorie, fat, and fiber preparation method in Korean cuisine is fermentation, which en- hances the taste and quality of foods while preserving the foods. Kimchi is a low calorie, low fat, and no cholesterol vegetable- Kimchi is made using a distinctive fermentation process for pre- based side dish. There are 15 calories in half a cup of Napa cab- serving vegetables, predominantly cabbage, but also many other bage kimchi. Also, half a cup of kimchi contains 1 g of fiber (the vegetables. Kimchi is served with almost every meal in Korean recommended daily amount of fiber is 25 g for women and 38 g for households [6]. men. After age 50, the daily fiber recommendation drops to 21 g for women and 30 g for men [11].) 3. History of kimchi 4.2. Vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals The history of kimchi has been well described previously [1,6,7]. Briefly, agriculture was a prominent industry in ancient Korea. The Kimchi is a rich source of various vitamins and minerals. It cultivation of Korean red pepper (gochu) was recorded in many contains a range of vitamins, primarily vitamin A, vitamin historical documents during the Three Kingdoms Period (三國時代; B, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Kimchi contains minerals such as cal- 37 BC e 668 AD), indicating that kimchi was being made by fer- cium, iron, phosphorous, and selenium. However, kimchi has a high menting Korean red pepper powder/flakes gochugaru,(Fig. 3) sodium content (128 mg in half a cup of kimchi) and therefore during this period [2]. According to historical records, the ancient should be consumed in moderation if sodium intake needs to be agrarians of Korea developed a storage method in response to the monitored. long cold winters, the most strenuous season of agriculture. This Kimchi acquires phytochemicals (“phyto” means plant in method, known as fermentation, is a way of preserving kimchi by Greek)dhealth-promoting compoundsdfrom Napa cabbage, encouraging the growth of natural microorganismsdbeneficial green onion, and garlic. These phytochemicals have detoxification, bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteriadthat are present in kimchi's anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and immune-stimulating prop- raw ingredients (cabbage, red pepper, spices, etc.) [2]. erties, and their role in the prevention of certain cancers is being studied [12]. 3.1. Korean red pepper 4.3. Health benefitsebacteria and probiotics Red pepper powder (gochugaru, Fig. 3) is the staple spice, which gives kimchi its intense and spicy flavor. This hot powder also One of kimchi's most prominent health beneficiary features is contributes on a microbial level. Studies have found that the sole considered to be its probiotic function. Probiotics are live micro- presence of gochugaru affects the fermentation of kimchi, increasing organisms, bacteria that are used in the production of fermented Download English Version: https://daneshyari.com/en/article/8588975

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