As a living history, Kimchi is a globally well-known Korean traditional food, which name simply means fermented vegetables in Korean. Kimchi is the most popular Korean dish (mostly as a side dish or main ingredients of numerous Korean cuisines) that consisted of Baechu (Korean cabbage), pickled vegetables, spices, and seasonings including chili powder, scallions, garlic, and ginger. Kimchi has evolutionized from simply fermented cabbage to the product completed by combining various spices, flavors, and regional and individual characteristics. Kimchi has some similarities with other Asian fermented foods such as Pao Cai in China, and Kimuchi in Japan, however, they are clearly distinguished from each other. The history, chemistry, and the cooking process will be provided in the presentation explaining why they are different.<br/>Kimchi is also well-known for its health benefits as a probiotic lactic-acid bacteria fermented vegetable food. Since it is a fermented food, it boasts numerous probiotics, which are the healthy microorganisms that are directly associated with various health benefits including improved digestion, better immunity, and potential weight loss effect. Kimchi is also effective in lowering cholesterol and reducing insulin resistance. According to a recent clinical trial, a higher intake of Kimchi resulted in lowering blood sugar, blood cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol. Other health benefits from consuming Kimchi include antioxidative and antiaging, antimutagenic, anticancer, and antiobesity.<br/>In this presentation, we will review the rich history of Kimchi in Korea and its globalization, differences between Kimchi and Chines pao cai based on chemistry, processing, history and regulation, chemistry and health benefits, unique Kimchi culture, and current and future prospect of Kimchi.

Beyond the cabbage: The chemistry, history, culture, and status of the Korean superfood Kimchi in the global food market.

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.