Kimchi

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This article refers to the traditional Korean dish. For the family of scholars known as Kimchi, Qimchi and Kimhi, see the article on Qimchi.

Template:Korean name image Kimchi, also known as gimchi or kimchee is a traditional Korean dish of fermented chile peppers and vegetables, usually based on cabbage. The Korean word seems to originally have meant "steeped (or submerged) vegetable".

In Korea, kimchi is a popular side dish but is also often used as an ingredient in cooking, including kimchi jjigae (kimchi soup), kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice), and other dishes.

1 History
2 Composition
- 2.1 Health
3 Trivia
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

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History

Early forms of kimchi consisted mainly of salted greens as chili peppers were introduced to Korea only in the 16th century by Portuguese traders coming from Japan.

The Portuguese were the first traders to have spread the chili pepper globally. Portugal's maritime power—rounding the Cape of Good Hope and reaching India in 1498—set a course for the chili pepper to leave South America to Asia through various African ports along the way or directly through the Pacific. By the 1500s, they were regularly exporting chili peppers from Brazil. By 1540, they were trading in Indonesia and soon after, chili peppers made their way to China. In 1549, the Portuguese reached Japan, and from there Korea. In 1564, the chili pepper reached the Philippines and then moved on to Melanesia and Micronesia along a Spanish-developed trade route.

A cookbook from 1670 describes pickled mixtures of wild greens and pickled gourd melons, but makes no reference to the use of chilies. One historical record from the end of the 17th century describes eleven types of kimchi and thus kimchi utilizing red peppers would have been popularized some years after that (200 years, by one estimate) [1]. In addition, the introduction of Chinese cabbage probably did not occur until the 19th century [2]; before that, kimchi was made from indigenous vegetables.

South Korea imports more kimchi than it exports, with most imported kimchi coming from China. In 2005, it was found that a significant percentage of Chinese kimchi was contaminated with parasite eggs. This led to South Korea banning imports of Chinese kimchi. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several days later, it also became clear that the same was true of some South Korean kimchi. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Composition

Common ingredients include Chinese cabbage, radish, garlic, red pepper, spring onion, squid, oyster or other seafood, ginger, salt, and sugar. There are variants, including kkakdugi, based on radish and containing no cabbage, and oisobagi, stuffed cucumber kimchi. Kkaennip kimchi features layers of perilla leaves marinated in soy sauce, peppers, garlic, green onions, and other spices. While Kimchi is generally identified internationally as Chinese cabbage fermented with a mixture of red pepper, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (anchovy base broth, in baechu kimchi), several different types of kimchi exist, including several regional and seasonal variations. The Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul has documented 187 varieties of kimchi, known historically or currently. Although baechu kimchi (Chinese cabbage kimchi) is now the most common variety, it was developed relatively recently.

If Chinese cabbage is not available or if the original variety is too pungent for beginners, kimchi can be made with western cabbage, but this is unusual. The taste of kimchi made in this way tends to be lighter and less piquant.

Lactobacilli are heavily involved in the fermentation of kimchi, which results in a higher lactic acid content in the final product than in yoghurt.

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Health

Kimchi has been cited by Health Magazine as one of the world's five "healthiest foods", with the claim that it is rich in vitamins, aids digestion, and may even prevent cancer.<ref name="healthy">Template:Cite web</ref> The health properties of kimchi are due to a variety of different factors. Kimchi is usually made with cabbage, onions, and garlic, all of which have well-known health benefits. Kimchi also has active and beneficial bacterial cultures, like yogurt. Lastly, kimchi contains liberal quantities of hot pepper, which has been suggested to have health benefits as well.

In East Asia, the low number of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) cases in Korea is sometimes attributed to the Korean habit of eating large quantities of kimchi, although no definitive link between kimchi consumption and SARS resistance has ever been scientifically established [3]. What healthful properties kimchi may have is disputed—some studies have linked its consumption to a reduced risk of gastric cancer, but other studies have linked consumption of certain types of kimchi (containing radish) to an increased risk of cancer. [4] [5]

There is some evidence that indicates that kimchi may be used to treat avian influenza in birds. There is currently no evidence of its effects on humans. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Trivia

In US slang, "kimchi" is occasionally used in the phrase "in deep kimchi," a euphemism for "in deep trouble." This phrase is particularly common in the US military community.<ref>One example of this use is found in Template:Cite web</ref> It briefly gained prominence when it was used during the 2000 U.S. presidential campaign.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>