Also Experience: Lemon Grass Drink: Another chapter of Kitchen Adventures: I mixed a little KimChi with 2 beaten eggs and fried the mix. Very nice! Then, I mixed a half cup of The Forchun Lemon Grass Juice drink with a half cup of boiling water. This is an excellent way to start every day. Try it and see! (Both products must be refrigerated. Delivered exclusively in Carcar City, Cebu, Philippines.
There are trillions of tiny creatures living in our bodies and they have been making headlines and teaching people to take better care of their digestive system. Good bacteria are necessary for all animals to have normal, healthy digestion. In people they do many functions including making vitamin K, essential for blood clotting. Yeast is a form of bacteria used to make bread. Other bacteria are involved in making cheese and other foods we love.
These good bacteria—particularly those in our digestive tract—improve digestion, boost immunity and help us maintain a healthy weight. Research is still emerging on just how important these mighty microbes might be for our health, but the early results are promising. Take care of your digestive tract. You’ll be glad you did!
Eating foods packed with probiotics—good bacteria—is one way to improve your digestive system health and your general frame of mind. Fermented foods, like yogurt and kimchi, are rich in probiotics. The good bacteria grow during the fermentation process. Add the listed seven fermented foods to your diet for a healthy dose of probiotics.
These bacteria are especially important because they chase out dangerous bacteria and parasites! Those dangerous creatures in your digestive system can be the source of many illnesses including depression, general tiredness, lack of well-being, lack of energy for anything, and lack of drive to do more with your everyday life, and some bad bacteria can cause stomach cancer!
There are several fermented foods popular across the world.
Sauerkraut Made from just cabbage and salt, this fermented food delivers a healthy dose of probiotics and fiber.
Kimchi Sauerkraut’s Korean cousin, this fermented cabbage dish is spicy. The best in the world is made in Carcar City, south of Cebu City, Philippines. The community is becoming a food lovers tourist destination city since that particular Kimchi business opened. Kimchi is a spicy side dish made from fermented vegetables and Korean red pepper. It is consumed daily by 95 percent of South Koreans and is deeply ingrained in their culture, one writer said, ‘with a near religious fervor.’1
Kefir a fermented milk drink—it tastes like drinkable yogurt
Kombucha is a tangy, effervescent tea—typically black or green—that’s rich in good-for-you yeast and bacteria. The drink is often flavored with herbs or fruit.
Miso A fermented paste made from barley, rice or soybeans
Tempeh is made from naturally fermented soybeans.
Yogurt made by fermenting milk.
Kimchi is a quintessential Korean dish. It is made from vegetables, most often cabbage, which are fermented with lactic acid (an acid your body produces so it’s safe for us) bacteria and flavored with Korean red pepper. … Korean red pepper, called gochugaru, is what distinguishes kimchi from other fermented vegetables.
Usually served as a side dish, kimchi has a spicy, savory flavor that has been embraced by home chefs, foodies and casual diners all over the world. Interestingly, kimchi has fallen out of favor with younger generations in Korea, who are testing heavily processed American cheese. It won’t be long before those young people decide processed cheese is out of style and return to their honorable grandparent’s kimchi!
Kimchi dates back at least two millennia and was probably developed to preserve cabbage and prevent starvation during the severe Korean winters. There are over 200 varieties of kimchi, but the most common variant is made with Napa cabbage, Korean red pepper and a mix of aromatic ingredients such as garlic.8
The gochugaru pepper is crushed into a powder and gives kimchi both its distinctive appearance and fiery flavor. Gochugaru is also the primary catalyst of the fermentation process.9 Studies have shown that it influences the composition of the microbial communities and metabolites formed during fermentation.10
The other core component of classic kimchi is Napa cabbage. Originating in China, the dense and cylindrical cabbage has milder flavor than traditional cabbage. Even before fermentation, it packs an impressive nutritional punch and is loaded with vitamins and minerals.11
Koreans have enjoyed kimchi for thousands of years, but it first began to gain international recognition during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.2
The timeless staple of Korean dining was viewed as both a potential source of pride and embarrassment. Officials worried that the strong odor of kimchi would repulse the throngs of visiting athletes, tourists and journalists.
Despite these concerns, kimchi was made one of the official foods of the Olympic village. This was only natural considering its importance in Korean culture, but they also made an effort to make it more acceptable to those not accustomed to its odor.
It was reported that event staff were instructed to brush their teeth after they ate kimchi.3
Contrary to predictions, the spicy and pungent flavors of kimchi received favorable reception from the Olympic athletes and the visiting audience at large.4 The international exposure served as a catalyst for kimchi’s popularity, and it has continued to gain recognition in the ensuing decades.
There is a lot more to kimchi than its bold, savory flavors. Science has provided us with greater appreciation of the microbial benefits of fermented foods and their influence on gut health.
Health Benefits of Kimchi
Kimchi owes its recent spike in worldwide popularity to the growing backlash against ultra-processed food. Consumers are now looking for natural foods that provide additional health benefits.12 As a fermented food loaded with nutrients and healthy microbes, kimchi certainly fits the bill.13
Napa cabbage kimchi, the most common variety, has only 15 calories per half-cup serving and contains vitamins A, B, C and K. It is also loaded with vital minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium.14
Flavorful Korean red pepper gives kimchi its trademark appearance and is rich in capsaicin,15 a spice that provides unique health benefits including pain relief, cancer prevention, weight loss, gastrointestinal health and cardio-protective influence.16 Many kimchi recipes include additional beneficial ingredients such as garlic, radish, ginger, scallions and shallots. Garlic may effectively combat Helicobacter pylori, which is a serious risk factor for stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.17 So….could eating Kimchi prevent stomach ulcers and cancer? It might but no one is presently testing a large population to be certain. I doubt anyone ever will.
Kimchi is loaded with healthy lactic acid bacteria. A 2014 study in the Journal of Medicinal Food states that the health functionality of kimchi includes, “Anticancer, antiobesity, anticonstipation, colorectal health promotion, probiotic properties, cholesterol reduction, fibrolytic effect, antioxidative and antiaging properties, brain health promotion, immune promotion, and skin health promotion.”18
Can you think of anyone who would not benefit from eating a little Kimchi with dinner every day? I think it’s good for everyone!
If you’re Asian and you Love Good Food, be sure to order the world’s best kimchi this week. Refer to the photo and phone number at the top of this page.
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