Homemade Kimchi Inspired Spicy Sauerkraut Recipe • Cultured Guru (2024)

FAQs

Is kimchi just spicy sauerkraut? ›

Just as Germans made their Sauerkraut, the Koreans made their Kimchi. The two are essentially the same just with minor variations in spices.

Kimchi is healthier than sauerkraut due to its higher probiotic content and increased nutrients. What 3 Foods Are Bad For Your Gut? Diet soda, processed and refined foods make up some of the worst foods for your gut bio and overall health.

If all you want is More Heat, just use finely minced habanero or scotch bonnet peppers. (Use appropriate practices for handling extremely spicy peppers.) After adding the peppers, stir well and let sit for a day or two to let the flavors disperse.

Sauerkraut has a more acidic taste without the distinct umami flavor of kimchi and other Asian foods. The longer it's fermented, the sourer and tangier it becomes. Overall, it has a more astringent taste, a simpler flavor profile, and a firmer texture than kimchi.

Along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, kimchi contains natural probiotic bacteria. If you eat them regularly, the probiotics in fermented foods can be beneficial to your gut microbiome. Studies suggest that eating kimchi on a daily basis could help to improve some digestive problems.

The biggest difference between fresh and fermented Kimchi is the taste. Fresh Kimchi is more like a salad, so it taste more raw, fresh and crunchy. Fermented Kimchi is softer and tangy.

You can eat sauerkraut every day. But if you're looking to benefit your gut bacteria, you can also eat other fermented foods and beverages like kimchi and kombucha. Yogurt also contains beneficial probiotics. Each product can contain different strains of bacteria, which may vary in their benefits.

Improve Digestion

One serving of sauerkraut has two grams of fiber — a nutrient known to aid with digestion. For people with constipation, fiber increases the weight and size of their stool and softens it, making it easier to pass. For people with diarrhea, fiber can absorb excess water and solidify their stool.

In a nutshell: the best sauerkraut for probiotics and for gut health is any type of raw (unpasteurized) sauerkraut which is doesn't contain any sugar, vinegar, or preservatives such as lactic acid, sodium benzoate, or sodium bilsufate (since those ingredients all interfere with the process of “lactofermentation” ...

Many kimchi recipes require special ingredients, but I like to stick to things that are available at most local supermarket. If you have a good Asian grocery store nearby, by all means go get some gochugaru (Korean ground chili), but a mix of regular chili flakes and paprika will work just fine.

What chili powder is used for kimchi? ›

Gochugaru is especially designed for making kimchi. It has a certain spice level and an inherent sweetness. It is said Prickly ash might have been used before the importation of the chili and in terms of spiciness, gochukaru very much matches this.

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 traditionally made with napa cabbage, but there's nothing to stop you from using another cabbage! Napa cabbage, Chinese cabbage, green cabbage, savoy cabbage, white cabbage, red cabbage, and bok choy (we could go on and on) are all part of the very large cruciferous family (Brassicaceae).

While both kefir and sauerkraut are packed with beneficial nutrients, they differ in their nutritional profile. Kefir is a good source of protein, calcium, and vitamin D, while sauerkraut is higher in vitamin C and fiber. Both are low in calories and fat and can be a healthy addition to any diet.

Kimchi is typically fermented by 'wild cultures' naturally present on the vegetables. The formation of organic acids (primarily lactic and acetic acid) results in an optimum kimchi pH of 4.2. The kimchi fermentation process is very short in comparison to making sauerkraut.

Both kimchi and sauerkraut are fermented cabbage dishes, traditional to a specific culture, and growing in popularity around the globe. One hails from the traditions of Korea, while the other made its name in Eastern Europe. If you wanted to, you could likely draw comparisons between the two for days!

The two are essentially the same just with minor variations in spices. Over time the idea of fermentation has become almost a science and due to the bacteria at work, fermentation has become for many a dangerous art, something to be avoided as it brings food too close to what is usually regarded as rotten food.

What is kimchi? While many families have their own proprietary blend of ingredients, a traditional batch of kimchi will likely be made with napa cabbage, fish sauce, gochugaru (Korean coarse red pepper powder), sugar, ginger, garlic, scallions, radishes, and carrots.