When it comes to food, we consider a lot of things, but this especially applies to taste. The reason taste has the biggest impact on us is that it can decide whether we are going to enjoy the food or hate it.
Food can sometimes end up having a strong taste or a weak taste depending on the food in question. It might be so weak; the taste is nonexistent!
One food people might wonder about is kimchi. In this article, we will discover what it is, how much it tastes, if you can eat it raw, and finally, the best ways to eat it.
Contents
What Is Kimchi?
Kimchi is an extremely popular Korean food. It’s a fermented type of food that combines garlic, ginger, salt, and other spices, as well as vegetables.
There can be a lot of different vegetables in there, but one of the most common ones made to use Kimchi is cabbage. However, carrots, cucumber, and radishes can also be used.
One of the best things about Kimchi is that it isn’t expensive and can be bought in grocery stores, which includes ones in the West.
Over the years, Kimchi has become quite a popular food outside of South Korea and Asia in general, so it’s not as rare as it would be, say, a few years ago.
Kimchi can last in the fridge for a few months, especially if it hasn’t been opened.
Just make sure not to let it sit too long, or the fermentation process on the ingredients will become even stronger. Some people may not like this.
How Does Kimchi Taste?
The taste of kimchi does depend on what it is made with, so you do need to keep that in mind. There is going to be a basic taste straight across the board, but you will find some differences.
A big factor to keep in mind is how long the kimchi has been fermenting. Overall, you’ll have a very salty, sour, and acidic mixture hit your seafood.
You might even find some sweetness in the vegetables that have been involved in the fermenting process.
As you can see, it’s hard to pinpoint just one exact taste because Kimchi is such a complex food. That’s one of the reasons it’s becoming so popular.
Can You Eat Kimchi Raw?
By the time you get Kimchi (assuming it has been purchased at a grocery store or something similar), it has already gone through the fermenting process.
So, assuming it’s all done, you can go ahead and eat it either hot or cold.
If you are eating it cold, you can just go ahead and throw it over some noodles but be aware there might be some bacteria leftover from the fermentation process.
Eating Kimchi can also be eaten hot, which is an extremely popular way to eat it.
Plus, the great thing about cooking Kimchi under some high heat is you’ll be able to get rid of that pesky bacteria.
High heat is a great way of killing the bacteria that will make you sick. Kimchi might not have a lot of bacteria on it, butwhen it comes to food safety, you don’t want to make any chances.
It is always good to make sure that you are cooking it thoroughly. If you do, then you’ll be able to enjoy some delicious kimchi which might become a staple in some American households one day.
Ways To Cook Kimchi
You can imagine that there are many ways you can prepare and eat Kimchi.
We have narrowed down a few methods that stand out from the rest. Some of them might even appeal to you!
These methods include:
- Kimchi Fried Rice is one of the classic ways to eat Kimchi. All you have to do is cook up some rice and once it’s done, go ahead and mix in the Kimchi. You don’t have to cut up the kimchi before mixing it in, but it might be easier for you to eat it if the Kimchi is chopped up.
- Kimchi Pancake is a food you never thought of before, but believe it or not, it exists and is unbelievably delicious! It will add a nice burst of flavor to your pancake as well as give it a bit of a crunch to it. We understand it might sound a little strange, but don’t knock it until you try it. Isn’t that what they always say?
- Kimchi Pasta is a great way to combine two different types of food, and it works! Pasta is such an easy dish to cook. All you need to do is cook up some pasta on the stovetop and then add some Kimchi to it. Mix it, and what you have is an unbelievably delicious meal.
- Kimchi Stew is the last food on our list but certainly not the least. It can be a more Korean-influenced stew or a western influenced one. No matter what one you make, adding some Kimchi to the stew is going to make the meal pop with all the different flavors going on in the middle.
There are more ways than just these four we listed to prepare and cook Kimchi. If one of those does not appeal to you, then feel free to try others.
Final Thoughts
And there we go, all you kimchi lovers out there! Now you know not only what kimchi is but also how this popular Korean food tastes.
We also covered if you could eat it raw along with ways to cook it, so you’ll be able to cover all your bases depending on your preferences.
Kimchi is one of those Korean foods that has become extremely popular over the years throughout the world, especially in the West.
Part of this is because of the Hallyu wave, but also just because it’s delicious. Many grocery stores carry kimchi in the produce section, so if you ever have a chance, pick some up!
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.