10 Delicious Ways to Eat Kimchi (includes Korean Recipes) (2024)

FAQs

10 Delicious Ways to Eat Kimchi (includes Korean Recipes)? ›

As a traditional side dish, kimchi is usually served with other side dishes (banchan) in Korean family households and restaurants. Kimchi can be eaten alone or with rice, but it is also included in the recipes of other traditional dishes, including soup, porridge, and rice cake.

As a traditional side dish, kimchi is usually served with other side dishes (banchan) in Korean family households and restaurants. Kimchi can be eaten alone or with rice, but it is also included in the recipes of other traditional dishes, including soup, porridge, and rice cake.

Kimchi can be eaten on its own, as a side dish, or as an ingredient in other foods. Its spicy, tangy flavor is an excellent complement to savory foods, and it's often paired with rice dishes to add contrast to a meal.

Overall, eating up to three servings of kimchi daily was associated with an 11% lower odds for obesity, compared to folks who ate less than one serving daily, Shin's group found.

Homemade kimchi must be kept refrigerated and will last for up to 1 month. Store-bought kimchi that remains unopened can be kept at room temperature for 1-3 months. If you have store-bought kimchi that's been opened, it will be good for 3-4 days at room temperature and up to 6 months when refrigerated.

But for an authentic combination, the classic dish is kimchi ramen noodles and it's superbly delicious.

Enjoy plain kimchi cold or warmed up.

You can eat kimchi straight out of the fridge, or you can throw it in a small skillet and heat it up with 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of vegetable oil. It tastes great both ways! Some people prefer the cold, spicy taste, while others find the tangy texture best when heated up.

Kimchi is a super versatile dish that can be eaten on its own - seriously, straight out of the jar - as a condiment, or worked into almost any recipe.

Generally, kimchi is safe for most people unless you have a specific allergy to any of the ingredients. It may also cause some unpleasant side effects such as gas and bloating if you're not used to fermented or high-fibre food.

Sometimes, you may open a jar of kimchi and no explosion will occur. Other times, the kimchi may pop and overflow similarly to a bottle of champagne. Either way, your kimchi is still safe to eat.

When should you not eat kimchi? ›

Kimchi spoilage and over-fermentation

It will continue to ferment at a cool temperature. If kimchi over-ferments, it will have a very vinegary odor and taste. It is not pleasant to eat raw, so it is often used for soups and stews. If any fermentation gets soft and slimy, then it is a sign of spoilage.

Along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, kimchi contains natural probiotic bacteria. If you eat them regularly, the probiotics in fermented foods can be beneficial to your gut microbiome. Studies suggest that eating kimchi on a daily basis could help to improve some digestive problems.

Fresh and fermented kimchi are both low in calories and may boost weight loss ( 49 ). A 4-week study in 22 people with excess weight found that eating fresh or fermented kimchi helped reduce body weight, body mass index (BMI), and body fat. Additionally, the fermented variety decreased blood sugar levels ( 50 ).

So do you eat kimchi hot or cold? If you are eating kimchi because of the amazing live cultures and nutrient availability it offers, we recommend eating it cold. Try some of our own favorite cold kimchi recipes to get started: Cold noodles with kimchi.

The best side dishes to eat with kimchi are steamed white rice, steamed dumplings, fried shrimp, potstickers, beef and broccoli, egg roll in a bowl grilled meat, Korean pancakes, crispy tofu, japchae, Korean fried chicken, bibimbap, and pickled vegetables.

The traditional way to eat kimchi is to have it as a banchan, which is a Korean side dish. Banchan is basically any side dish for steamed rice. In fact, steamed rice is such a crucial part of Korean dining that people usually ask one another if they've eaten rice rather than whether they've had something to eat.

People can eat it as a side dish, use it as an ingredient in other meals, or eat it on its own. Although individuals can cook kimchi, keep in mind that heating any fermented foods can start to kill off the healthy probiotics.