Fermination

Sauerkraut or kimchi? I passionately debate with my parents every now and then.

Keep in mind that they are both from Ukraine or should I say from Soviet Union? Needless to say, they are huge advocates of sauerkraut. They are not talking about your typical soggy sauerkraut that you can get in a plastic bag at a local grocery store. They are talking about a crunchy, flavorful, live kraut from a ceramic crock. I stand my grounds and tell them that both kraut and kimchi are basically cousins because they share DNA of lactic-acid fermentation. Salt-driven pickling allows their best qualities (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc and Weissella) thrive. One of the “cousins” was simply raised in a different culture and climate that why the difference is seasoning has made one of them look and taste somewhat unique. But at the end of the day, they both harness wild lactic-acid bacteria to transform crisp vegetables into tangy, probiotic-rich superfoods. People all over the world love their zing, crunchy bite and gut-calming characteristics. Germans and Eastern Europeans settled on kraut. It takes two basic ingredients: cabbage and salt. Some like to add caraway or juniper. My mom and I add a bit of sugar and carrots. What I don’t like about kraut is that you need to have some patience. It takes four to six weeks to yield a clean and sharp sour taste. Koreans settled on kimchi and decided to add some of their traditional ingredients besides napa cabbage and salt. In goes garlic, ginger, chili flakes, fish sauce or brine shrimp. But you can enjoy the ready product after 1–3 days! Nutrition wise, they both deliver fiber, vitamins and live cultures that in return support digestion and help to balance your gut microbiome.

Enough blabbering as you can comparing both side by side:

So, if you are still undecided, try blending 50/50 kraut and young kimchi for a crunchy-spicy experiment. If you are food lover like me, try to ferment your own hybrid: toss green cabbage with gochugaru, caraway seeds, garlic and ginger. Let me know where you want to take your fermentation journey next!