Fermenting is hot
The currently trendy Kimchi (fermented cabbage and vegetables from the Korean cuisine) is appearing more and more frequently on many menus and has elevated fermenting into a culinary trend. Fermenting reflects the trend of going back to basics, authenticity, Do It Yourself and taking time and devoting attention to food and its preparation.
We come across fermented products more often than we think. Coffee, cheese, soy sauce, sauerkraut, dry sausage and tempeh aren’t automatically associated with fermentation. Fermenting is a technique which was used when there were no fridges to extend the life of food products.
What is fermentation?
In fermentation, food is put in brine (or sometimes in an acid). The micro-organisms present (yeast, bacteria and fungi) promote the production of acids, which have a preservative effect.
Make your own Kimchi
Fermenting vegetables improves their digestibility, keeps vitamin C intact and creates a new texture with a more intense flavour. Vegetables are easy to ferment at home. Don’t blanche the vegetables beforehand. The bacteria that are naturally present in vegetables are needed for the fermentation. Work cleanly, wash your hands thoroughly and use clean equipment.
- Take 1 nice, preferably organic Chinese cabbage, remove the outer leaves and cut the cabbage into four pieces. Leave the base of the leaves intact.
- Put the pieces in a bowl and pour over salted water, ensuring that they are well covered (7.5 grams of salt to 1 litre water). If necessary, put a plate on top and leave to cool for 1 day.
- In a food processor, blend 6 cloves of garlic, 2 shallots with the white of 1 leek and some peeled fresh ginger into a paste. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of chilli flakes and 1 dl fish sauce. Chilli flakes are coarsely ground dried chillies.
- Rinse the cabbage and leave to drain. Add the cabbage to the paste and rub the paste in well between the leaves.
- Roll the leaves up tightly, put them in a pickling jar, add some of the paste and ensure that everything is well covered in paste. If necessary, cover the pot with some foil. Close the pot and leave to ferment for 2-5 days at room temperature.
- Check daily that everything is well covered in the paste. Some gas may also escape when you do this.
Once the Kimchi is ready, divide the cabbage rolls into portions and vacuum seal them. These can now be kept in the fridge for 2 to 3 months.
Kimchi is delicious, very healthy, contains few calories, is full of fibre, vitamins and minerals and makes a lovely accompaniment to oriental dishes.