YOUR HOMEMADE KIMCHI • 250 g Chinese cabbage • 60 g salt • 4-5 whole spring onions (with the green) • 1 teaspoon chopped candied ginger • 1 spoon powdered red chilli pepper • 1 clove garlic • Water to taste Wash the cabbage and cut into thick pieces of about 2 cm. Put pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let them stand for about half an hour. Clean the spring onions and cut them in thin slices. Put them in a bowl with the ginger, garlic and chilli pepper. Wash the cabbage in water to remove the fermentation salt and add it to the second bowl, along with a tablespoon of salt. Mix well and put everything in a glass jar. Cover the vegetables with water. After about a week your kimchi will be ready to eat. The first cookbook written in the Korean alphabet is allocated to Mrs. Chang, born in 1598, who collected various recipes to prepare different kinds of kimchi thought for both everyday meals and meals for special occasions. 91 90 KIMCHI, A KOREAN PASSION At present in the Western world, fermented foods are becoming more and more valued by those who know that health also starts at the table. Several studies so far confirm the benefits of lactic cultures (Lactic Acid Bacteria), in particular for the intestine: they revitalise intestinal microflora, help digestion, strengthen the immune system and help the body to detoxify. Bacterial fermentation has the power not only to make food more digestible but also to increase vitamin content (in particular, vitamin C and vitamins of the B group), as well as to curb the problems related to food intolerance (and therefore to fend off such side effects as diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, weakness and fatigue). All these benefits that start from the inside, are then reflected to the outside, that is, through the skin, which immediately looks healthier and fresher. Finally, a feature that should not be left aside when talking about the fermentation of fruits and vegetables is that this guarantees excellent preservation of nutrients, pigments and all nutrition and general organoleptic characteristics over time. LACTIC CULTURES: OUR HEALTH ALLIES After the national festival of kimchi, the museum dedicated to kimchi in Seoul and the research institute of kimchi of the University of Pusan, South Koreans have also prepared boxes of kimchi to be sent into space to supply their astronauts on a mission! Kimchi is really the most popular national dish, and everyone agrees in Korea, it is the symbol of the culture of an entire country. The first data about kimchi date back to about 3000 years ago and since then and even today, November continues to be the month dedicated to harvesting cabbage, when Korean women work hard to make a culinary masterpiece. They prepare enough kimchi to last for the whole year (keeping it in large onggi jars) since it is served at the table quite often, almost with every meal. It is estimated that throughout Korea, there is an average consumption of 18 kilograms of kimchi a year! Originally, kimchi consisted only of cabbage marinated in salted water. It was only in the eighteenth century, when Korea came into contact with Western traders, that hot pepper became one of its key ingredients. In the course of time, a variety of seasonings was added. They led to a decrease in the content of salt and also in a more efficient fermentation. That is how kimchi today has gradually evolved into its current form, which includes a number of variants containing everything: garlic, spices, seafood, meat and much more. Kimchi is not only exquisite, with intense flavour and crunchy texture; it is also good for health as it is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, calcium and iron. Its greatest benefit, as in all fermented foods, derives from the presence of lactobacilli. In short: as an appetiser to stimulate appetite and promote digestion, or as a side dish for meats and fish, added to salads and cooked vegetables or to accompany rice, it is always a good time for kimchi. in fermento in Ferment
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