Do You Eat Kimchi Hot or Cold? We Talk All Things Kimchi — Hosta Hill - Fine Ferments (2024)

Do you eat kimchi hot or cold? Is kimchi good for me? What you need to know about this versatile fermented food

You know that fermented foods like kimchi are growing in popularity for good reasons (they’re delicious and good for you!) but you want the details. You’ve come to the right spot. We will help you get better acquainted with this versatile ferment, and give you answers to questions like “do you eat kimchi hot or cold,” and more!

At Hosta Hill, we love kimchi and value traditional methods of fermentation. The unique and bold flavors of our cultured veggies develop slowly through wild fermentation, a natural preservation process that ensures delicious and nutritious results in every batch. Check out our offerings in the Hosta Hill Shop. We now offer a 6-pack option so you can buy bulk and save money!

Getting to know this favorite ferment

Let’s start with a little backstory. Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables. Originally created to preserve vegetables over the winter, kimchi has been eaten in Korea for generations.

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. It compliments many flavors in sometimes surprising ways and has enough flavor to stand out on its own. A truly simple Korean meal is just steamed rice and kimchi, and it’s mighty yummy.

Hosta Hill’s kimchi aims to honor the Korean original. We use napa cabbage and an array of root veggies, all mixed up into a hearty rice paste featuring fish sauce, peppers, garlic, and ginger. It’s moderately spicy and has a nice crunch. The distinctive flavor of our 2015 Good Food Award-winning kimchi is a point of pride.

Fermentation for preservation

To understand kimchi, you should know something about fermentation and how it came to be. Around the world for thousands of years, many cultures have relied on fermentation to produce and preserve a wide variety of foods, from bread-making to vegetable and meat preservation.

During the vegetable fermentation process, good bacteria help convert starches and sugars in the veggies to lactic acid, and that works as a natural preservative. Lacto-fermentation also prevents harmful bacteria from growing and extends the shelf-life of food.

So one important thing to remember about kimchi is that it will last a long time. And another thing is that Kimchi and other ferments are raw, live foods.

Eating kimchi hot or cold for health benefits

The answer to “do you eat kimchi hot or cold” is really about health, not flavor.

Kimchi tastes great cooked into almost anything. But heating kimchi kills the healthy, helpful bacteria that are a product of the fermentation process.

So if you are using kimchi in a recipe that requires cooking, be sure to serve a little extra raw on the side to maintain the benefits of the live cultures for your health (there are many!). Or, for something like kimchi fried rice, fry the rice, then add cold kimchi to the hot rice right before serving.

You can read more about the benefits of kimchi for your health here.

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:

A lot of folks are wondering how to incorporate fermented foods into their daily meals. Well, a great place to get started is to get yourself a jar and try it on everything! We recommend giving a kimchi and peanut butter sandwich a whirl. Really!

Get yourself a jar of Hosta Hill’s handmade, award-winning kimchi today and start exploring the possibilities!

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Do You Eat Kimchi Hot or Cold? We Talk All Things Kimchi — Hosta Hill - Fine Ferments (2024)

FAQs

Do You Eat Kimchi Hot or Cold? We Talk All Things Kimchi — Hosta Hill - Fine Ferments? ›

The answer to “do you eat kimchi hot or cold” is really about health, not flavor. Kimchi tastes great cooked into almost anything. But heating kimchi kills the healthy, helpful bacteria that are a product of the fermentation process.

Are you supposed to eat kimchi hot or cold? ›

Kimchi can be eaten basically however you want. You can eat it cold straight from the container. You can use it as an ingredient in soups, noodles, Korean pancakes, and fried rice. You can even chop it up small, sautee it in butter and add it to things like hotdogs, quesadillas, or grilled cheese.

What is the best way to eat kimchi? ›

Cooked kimchi is commonly eaten with Korean meat (the zip cuts through fatty pork belly beautifully) or lightly boiled tofu (another delicious study in contrasts), but it can also work well in anything that needs a boost of acidity without the crunch and sourness of raw kimchi: a burger or hot dog topping, inside a ...

Should kimchi ferment in the fridge or counter? ›

The kimchi fermentation process is very short in comparison to making sauerkraut. Kimchi ferments at room temperature in only 1-2 days or more slowly in the refrigerator. For safety, kimchi should be stored refrigerated and is best eaten within 1 week, as the quality of kimchi deteriorates with longer fermentation.

Should I eat kimchi every morning? ›

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. Results varied somewhat based on gender: Women who ate two to three servings daily saw their odds for obesity fall by 8%, the study found.

How is kimchi traditionally eaten? ›

As the national dish of South Korea, kimchi is a staple in kitchens around the world. This fermented cabbage dish can be served as a side dish, over a bed of rice, folded into scrambled eggs, whirred into tomato sauce, or even just eaten as is.

Does kimchi lose probiotics when heated? ›

Kimchi is a versatile dish that people can add to many meals. 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.

How much kimchi to eat per day? ›

Eating up to three daily servings of kimchi could reduce men's risk of obesity. Also, radish kimchi is associated with a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity in both men and women, according to a new study. The findings were published in the journal, BMJ Open.

What happens when you start eating kimchi? ›

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.

Does kimchi go bad in the fridge? ›

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. Signs of your kimchi going bad include mold growth, an alcoholic smell, and an extremely sour taste.

Where to store kimchi after opening? ›

Store in fridge at below 4 degrees Celcius

I.e not at the door and generally in the upper shelves of the fridge where it's usually colder.

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.

Does kimchi reduce belly fat? ›

Men who ate more than three serves a day of cabbage kimchi (baechu) were less likely to have obesity and abdominal obesity (excess fat deposits around their middle). And women who ate two to three serves a day of baechu were less likely to have obesity and abdominal obesity.

What is the side effect of eating too much kimchi? ›

What happens when you eat too much kimchi? Since kimchi is fermented and spicy, you might experience uncomfortable gastric repercussions. Usually those with IBS or other gastrointestinal issues are more prone to sensitivity, especially since kimchi is also spicy.

Does kimchi go bad if it gets warm? ›

Warmer temperatures can accelerate spoilage, so storing kimchi in your refrigerator at a temperature around 39°F is the best way to keep it fresh.

How to eat kimchi for gut health? ›

Here are just a few ways you might like to try kimchi:
  1. kimchi fried rice.
  2. kimchi dumplings (steamed or pan-fried)
  3. kimchi “jjigae” stew (with beef)
  4. spicy soft tofu stew.
  5. kimchi pancakes.
  6. kimchi with tofu (often eaten as a snack with a drink)
  7. kimchi with noodles (hot or cold)
  8. kimchi pasta.
Mar 18, 2024

Is kimchi good for the common cold? ›

Vitamin-rich hot pepper is high in capsaicin, believed to kill harmful microbes. Rounding out the list, ginger is an Ayurvedic remedy for coughs and colds. But kimchi's real cold-fighting power lies in its fermentation process, which produces high levels of beneficial bacteria, or probiotics.

Does kimchi have to be spicy hot? ›

Is Kimchi Spicy? The bright red color of kimchi's signature seasoning, gochugaru, leaves many asking, "Is kimchi spicy?" The spice level of the kimchi depends on how much gochugaru went into the mix, with different versions available ranging from mild to very spicy.

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