Kim Chee that is…and, no I am not a stalker. It’s not who but what is Kim Chee. Well, she is all things fermented…my obsession is with the napa cabbage variety. And believe me if Kim Chee was a person you would not want to hang out with this odiferous gal.
This pungent food is made by taking leaves of napa cabbage, layer with salt, crushed red chili flakes, minced garlic and julienned ginger. Add a little cornstarch or flour ‘gravy’, stuff this happy mix in a crock and watch anyone who walks by the crock curl up their nose. In a few days the lactic acid bacteria will have done it’s little magic and you will have a crock of Korean style sauerkraut – only hotter and with enough garlic to ward away an army of vampires…or is it a pack of werewolves?
I love this stuff and it has cured me of my after meal belching much to the disappointment of my dining companions.
How can I benefit from an obsession with Kim you ask? Lactic acid bacteria are probiotic …that is they supplement and help our normal gut bacteria to function more efficiently. In fact we have lactic acid bacteria in our gut normally and they provide an important digestive and immune enhancing functions. Not only that, a little KC before dinner helps your stomach start producing stomach acid which helps you breakdown what you are chomping on more efficiently – thus no belching.
And all that ginger and garlic will keep that pesky flu away!
