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Kimchi
is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of seasoned vegetables.
Kimchi
is the most common Korean banchan eaten
with rice along with other banchan dishes.
Kimchi is also a common ingredient and cooked with other ingredients
to make dishes such as kimchi stew (kimchi jjigae)
and kimchi fried rice (kimchi bokkeumbap).
Moreover, because it is both flavorful and healthy, the world-wide
appeal and popularity of kimchi continues to grow.
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References
to kimchi can be found as early as 2600-3000 years ago. The
earliest form of kimchi consisted of only salted vegetables. It was
in the 12th century when people began to include other spices to create
different flavors, such as sweet and sour savor, and colors of kimchi.
This particular
style of kimchi made with chili peppers and baechu, a variety of cabbage,
gained popularily in the 19th century and this baechu
kimchi continues to be the most common and popular form of
kimchi today. |
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Kimchi's
composition can be separated into the main vegetable ingredient and
the mix of seasonings used to flavor the kimchi. While the most popular
type of kimchi is the napa cabbage variety, countless different types
exist, including regional and seasonal varieties. The
most common seasonings include brine, garlic, scallions and chili
pepper grind, countless varieties of seasoning and ingredients can
be replaced or added depending on the type of kimchi being made. |
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Kimchi
can be categorized either by regions or seasons. Kimchi from the northern
parts of Korea tend to have less salt as well as less red peppers
and usually do not have brined seafood for seasoning. Unlike northern
styles, kimchi in the southern parts of Korea, such as Jeollado and
Kyeongsangdo, uses salt, chili peppers and salted fish liberally.
Depending upon the season of the year, the various weather conditions,
and ingredients available in the region, different varieties of kimchi
are produced.
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Kimchi
has been cited by Health Magazine as one of the world¡¯s five ¡°healthiest
foods,¡± for being rich in vitamins, aiding digestion, and perhaps
even preventing cancer and bird flu.
Kimchi
is rich in vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), calcium and
iron and also has active and beneficial bacterial cultures of Lactobacilli
which results in a higher lactic acid content in the final product
than in yoghurt.
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¨Ï 2007. Young Man Kang Films LLC. All Rights Reserved |
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