Kimchi is sometimes spelled "kimchee", but I prefer the "chi" spelling because that is the spelling of the oriental word chi (gi, ki) that means "natural energy" or "vital force". Of the countless varieties of Kimchi that are made in Korea, by far the most common version is the one made with Chinese (wong bok) cabbage. Kimchi that is made with cabbage is loaded with indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound that is well recognized as a powerful cancer-fighting compound. Numerous studies indicate that I3C can offer protection against many different types of cancer and may even stop the growth of existing tumours.
I also learned about Kimchi when I was a student and completed a Cooking For Health course at the Australian College Of Natural Medicine in Brisbane (Australia) many years ago. A great thing about this dish, like all fermented foods is that it keeps for many, many weeks in your refrigerator, yet still tastes fresh. The garlic and vinegar are natural preservatives that keep the raw vegetables and fruits tasting great for a long time. If you have one of those “keep warm” crock or hotpot in your kitchen, then a wholesome snack or even a full meal, is not far away. Kimchi is like sauerkraut, it is not only a health food, it can be regarded as a convenience food, and both of these foods can be served cold, warm or hot. An important point to bear in mind is that kimchi must be fermented properly.What Is Kimchi?
Cabbage and Onions
In my opinion, two of the best ingredients to ferment for promoting beneficial bacteria in your digestive system and inhibiting the unfriendly bacteria are cabbage and onions. There is no doubt, fermented cabbage is the absolute best. Once the cabbage soaked in vinegar has had a chance to age (a day or two in the refrigerator, a few hours at room temperature), the cabbage ferments and produces the nutrients that the beneficial lacto-bacteria thrive on.
When you make kimchi, be sure to use Chinese cabbage, which is one of the most common Asian vegetables found in Australia and New Zealand and is also known as Peking cabbage, Napa cabbage, or ‘Wong bok’. It has an elongated head with tightly packed crinkly pale green leaves. Unlike the strong-flavoured waxy leaves on round heads of cabbage, these are thin, crisp and delicately mild.
When you make sauerkraut, use the normal round green cabbage. It has a stronger and sharper taste and suits sauerkraut better. This cabbage is a bit harder to slice because the leaves are more densely packed so be sure to use a sharp serrated knife.
Cabbage is also a known cure for ulcers. I once placed a male patient with advanced ulcers on a diet rich in kimchi, sauerkraut, plain steamed vegetables, fish and rice. He did not have a helicobacter pylori stomach infection. In about 12 weeks, the ulcers that had resisted years of medical treatment were completely healed, I know this to be true because the patient had this confirmed by way of endoscopy. If you eat foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, you may well heal all manner of chronic digestive complaints which have been unresponsive to conventional drug treatments. What have you got to lose?
To make healthy kim chi that still has lots of flavour and health-promoting compounds, start with a whole head of fresh wong bok cabbage:
Ingredients:
Directions: