Kimchi

Description

KimChi Facts

• The magazine Health named KimChi in its list of top five “World’s Healthiest Foods” for being rich in vitamins, aiding digestion, and even possibly reducing cancer growth.

• References to KimChi can be found as early as 2600–3000 years ago.
• KimChi is a national passion in South and North Korea. The average adult Korean consumes more than a quarter pound of KimChi every day.

• KimChi stands apart from regular kraut because of the following components: Red pepper, ginger, garlic, and onion.  What is notable is that each separate one of these four is among the top healing herbs throughout history.  Entire books have been written about each one of them – they have been used in healing hundreds of diseases.  We know of no other food that contains all four of these super healers.
• KimChi is hot and spicy, but what is notable is that its heat is considerably reduced during fermentation. It would be hard to eat pre-fermented KimChi because of the dense, combined heat of these four ingredients.

• KimChi also contains hundreds of species of beneficial bacteria, is a powerful anti-oxidant and immune booster, and has been used in published, documented cancer cures.

Inside the Crock

Our method of producing KimChi combines unrefined sea salt, chopped organic vegetables,  and a powerful and delightful combination of red pepper, ginger, onion, and garlic prepared as a paste.  The mixture is tightly packed into a lead-free crock, weighted down by stones, and allowed to ferment for 2 to 3 weeks.

Recent advances in ferment crock design provide a water-seal lid that prevents oxygen from producing surface scum on the batch, but allows ferment-produced carbonic gases to escape. The result is a purer ferment process. Lactic acid fermentation of fruits and vegetables is a natural process by which starches and sugars are converted into lactic acid by lactobacilli that are present in all living things.

Lactic acid-producing bacteria populations explode, rapidly raising acidity so that bacteria of decay cannot survive. This preserves fermented vegetables.

KimChi and Health

KimChi reduces unhealthy cholesterol: Here’s how!

• Garlic (working with onion) in KimChi is key.  Garlic is 60% allicin which reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels —  the major cause of heart attacks and strokes. Garlic also   contains selenium, key in preventing cholesterol platelets from adhering to artery walls.
• Cayenne pepper aids digestion, heart, and circulatory system.  Increases effectiveness of other herbs.  Can rebuild tissue in the stomach.  Helps body create hydrochloric acid (good for digestion), enhances cardiovascular performance while lowering blood pressure.   Good source of vitamin C.
• Kimchi promotes intestinal health. Kimchi works to clean out your system by feeding the lactobacteria and bifidobacteria that live in your intestines. These are the “friendly bacteria” that we need to be healthy. Kimchi nourishes them so they can thrive and outnumber the “unfriendly bacteria” that threaten our health from the inside.

How Much Should Be Eaten?

• KimChi should be a daily condiment rather than an occasional food.  Even one bite per meal enhances your digestive tract more so than a large helping just twice a week. Frequency is more important than quantity.