Mak Kimchi Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How long does mak kimchi last? ›

Kept at room temperature, kimchi lasts 1 week after opening. In the refrigerator, it stays fresh much longer — about 3–6 months — and continues to ferment, which may lead to a sourer taste.

— Get some latex gloves to mix the cabbage and the spices. Otherwise, your hands will get stained and your skin might start to burn off. (I learned this the hard way.) — Make sure you allow the kimchi to ferment at room temperature.

Good quality gochugaru makes a big difference in kimchi. In addition to gochugaru (고추가루, Korean red chili pepper flakes), garlic and ginger, kimchi recipes typically call for various jeotgal (젓갈, salted seafood) for the distinct pungency and depth of flavors and to aid the fermentation process.

How long does it take to make Kimchi? Allow 1 hour to prepare the kimchi and get it in the fermentation jar. Plus 4 hours waiting while the vegetables salt. It takes 5-10 days to ferment depending on room temperature.

Generally, kimchi is safe for most people unless you have a specific allergy to any of the ingredients. It may also cause some unpleasant side effects such as gas and bloating if you're not used to fermented or high-fibre food.

Kimchi spoilage and over-fermentation

It will continue to ferment at a cool temperature. If kimchi over-ferments, it will have a very vinegary odor and taste. It is not pleasant to eat raw, so it is often used for soups and stews. If any fermentation gets soft and slimy, then it is a sign of spoilage.

The white spots are yeast, not mould

According to a study by the World Institute of Kimchi (yes there is!!!) and published in the Journal of Microbiology, those white colonies are actually yeast that's not known to be toxic. It's however recommended that you remove the whites, wash and cook the kimchi before consuming.

Numerous studies have shown that a diet high in fermented foods, such as kimchi, has proven health benefits, such as increasing microbiome diversity and reducing inflammation. Another study, published in April in the Journal of Ethnic Foods, found that kimchi can be an effective treatment aid for obesity.

Kimchi can be an excellent alternative to taking laxatives. It has a high fibre content, which helps keep the digestive system in good condition. Many studies have shown that fibre can control constipation, diarrhoea, and other digestive problems.

When you eat a good kimchi, your tongue should tingle (tingling good, swelling bad) from the active carbon dioxode. It feels funny, but you quickly get used to it when you are eating it with white rice and salty braised pork shoulder. With so many cabbages to choose from, more heads are better than one.

What can I add to kimchi to make it taste better? ›

You can enhance kimchi with a bunch of seasonings and add-ins, traditional or otherwise. These give a distinct flavor to the final product. Love lots of deep, umami, flavor? Try adding salted shrimp, oysters, or mushrooms.

Kimchi is fermented by anaerobic halophilic lactic acid bacteria. During the fermentation process, lactic acid bacteria produce organic acids and bacteriocin, which suppress the growth of harmful bacteria and impart a unique flavor to kimchi [4].

Basic ingredients for kimchi: napa cabbage, radish, carrot, salt, garlic, fish sauce, chili powder and scallions. A sticky, glutinous paste of rice flour is also needed to make the seasoning of the kimchi. Salted napa cabbage before making kimchi.

Upon a strictly biochemical point of view, fermentation is a process of central metabolism in which an organism converts a carbohydrate, such as starch or sugar, into an alcohol or an acid. For example, yeast performs fermentation to obtain energy by converting sugar into alcohol.