Baek-kimchi * () or white kimchi is a variety of

kimchi ''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including ''gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), sprin ...

made without the

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

powder commonly used for fermenting kimchi in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

. ''Baek kimchi'' has a mild and clean flavor, which appeals to children and the elderly, to whom the regular kimchi might be too spicy. ''Baek kimchi'' consists of salted

napa cabbage Napa cabbage (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''pekinensis'' or ''Brassica rapa'' Pekinensis Group) is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in Asian cuisine#East Asia, East Asian cuisine. Since the ...

radish The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an Eating, edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman Empire, Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, be ...

, '' minari'',

spring onions Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...

Korean pear ''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, pa ...

chestnuts The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelated ...

jujube Jujube (), sometimes jujuba, known by the scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'' and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus ''Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. Description It is a smal ...

, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, and a little bit of

chili thread ''Sil-gochu'' (), often translated as chili threads, chilli threads, or chili pepper threads, is a traditional Korean food garnish made with chili peppers. Gallery Gyeran-jang-jorim.jpg, ''Gyeran-jang-jorim'' (soy-sauce-simmered eggs) topped ...

s as garnish. ''Baek kimchis mild flavor and crunchy texture makes it a good

appetizer An hors d'oeuvre ( ; french: hors-d'œuvre ), appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the ...

when people order main dishes based on

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

such as

galbi ''Galbi'' * (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of ''gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is used ...

bulgogi ''Bulgogi'' (불고기; ; from Korean language, Korean ''bul-gogi'' ), literally "fire meat", is a ''Gui (food), gui'' (구이; Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marination, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, gri ...

at Korean restaurants. It is also used as a wrap for ''baek kimchi

bossam ''Bossam'' (, 褓-) is a pork dish in Korean cuisine. It usually consists of pork shoulder that is boiled in spices and thinly sliced. The meat is served with side dishes such as spicy radish salad, sliced raw garlic, '' ssamjang'' (wrap sauce), ' ...

''.Well-being food
Segye Ilbo, 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2010-06-27.

Nutrition

Baek-kimchi contains substances useful to humans such as

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

, minerals,

lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillales are an order of gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally nonsporulating, nonrespiring, either rod-shaped (bacilli) or spherical (cocci) bacteria that share common metabolic and physiological characteristics. These bacte ...

, and it is high in

fiber Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...

. Baek-kimchi has shown to also reduce the risk of cancer, obesity, and diabetes. (Kim & Park, 2018) The reason is that fermented foods contain "good" bacteria that can improve the way the body absorbs and reacts to nutrients and food. Specifically, the lactic acid bacteria in baek-kimchi have been linked to improvements in

intestinal diseases The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

and disorders such as

irritable bowel syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a "disorder of gut-brain interaction" characterized by a group of symptoms that commonly include abdominal pain and or abdominal bloating and changes in the consistency of bowel movements. These symptoms may ...

. Due to the high amount of lactic acid bacteria as well as dietary fiber and probiotics, coupled with the lack of spice in baek-kimchi, it can help greatly reduce the inflammation that causes intestinal distress. Other positive effects that baek-kimchi can have on one's gut is reducing the chance of

ulcers An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing o ...

. Having "good" gut bacteria can also help improve brain function as the nervous system communicates with all parts of the body. While baek-kimchi is useful for intestinal diseases, it can also help to lower

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...

and aid in

weight loss Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...

. In a study, those who have eaten fermented baek-kimchi for three months experienced lower cholesterol levels than those who did not. (Park et al., 2016) Additionally, overweight or obese participants in the study who were given fermented kimchi lost body fat over a three-month period. Baek-kimchi also reduced the risk of metabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, in these participants as well. Baek-kimchi helped to maintain good fats while aiding in participants' weight loss. Baek-kimchi contains many vitamins, such as vitamin A, which promotes and helps maintain healthy vision. The probiotics and other antioxidants found in baek-kimchi can also help the body fight off

infections An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmiss ...

and also boost the

immune system The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splinte ...

. Baek-kimchi also contains

isocyanate In organic chemistry, isocyanate is the functional group with the formula . Organic compounds that contain an isocyanate group are referred to as isocyanates. An organic compound with two isocyanate groups is known as a diisocyanate. Diisocyan ...

and

sulfide Sulfide (British English also sulphide) is an inorganic anion of sulfur with the chemical formula S2− or a compound containing one or more S2− ions. Solutions of sulfide salts are corrosive. ''Sulfide'' also refers to chemical compounds lar ...

, which can aid in helping a person's organs detoxify and get rid of heavy metals that could cause cancer. (Kim & Park, 2018) Other health benefits that come with making baek-kimchi part of one's diet include healthy hair and skin, which may also improve one's mental well-being. Baek-kimchi has also been linked to an increase in energy for those who have made it a regular part of their diet. Among its health benefits, baek-kimchi is also low in

calories The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of on ...

and high in iron and

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

. A single serving of baek-kimchi, which is one cup, has about 23 calories, 2 grams of protein, less than 1 gram of fat, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 747 milligrams of sodium. It also makes up 21% of a person's daily iron intake as well. (Horton, 2020)

References

Horton, B. (2020, February 04). The Health Benefits of Kimchi. Retrieved from http://www.eatingwell.com/article/7595527/the-health-benefits-of-kimchi/ Kim, H., & Park, K. (2018). Clinical trials of kimchi intakes on the regulation of metabolic parameters and colon health in healthy Korean young adults. Journal of Functional Foods, 47, 325–333. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2018.05.052 Park, S., Ji, Y., Park, H., Lee, K., Park, H., Beck, B. R., . . . Holzapfel, W. H. (2016). Evaluation of functional properties of lactobacilli isolated from Korean white kimchi. Food Control, 69, 5–12. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2016.04.037

External links

Brief information and recipe about ''white gimchi''

Brief information and recipe about ''white gimchi''
*

{{portal bar, Food Kimchi

Nutrition

See also

References

External links