Championed as a cure for many ills

Cabbage and radish are the most widely used vegetables in making kimchi, but many other vegetables, as well as seafood, are part of the mix.

One survey showed there are at least 187 types of kimchi, based on the vegetables, spices, other ingredients used and preparation methods. A total of 139 kimchi patents have been registered since 1966, with 109 in Korea, 28 in Japan and four in South Africa.

Its unmistakable taste is characterized as sour, sweet and carbonated, very different from sauerkraut, Western cuisine's contribution to fermented vegetables.

The taste comes from the salt and the lactic acid fermentation of the vegetables, the spices (including hot red pepper, garlic, ginger and green thread onion) and pickled fish or fresh seafood.

While kimchi is a fixed side dish at a Korean meal, many different variations, such as kimchi sandwich, fried potato pancake with kimchi and fried chicken breast stuffed with kimchi and cheese, have been tried out.

The development of kimchi in Korea does not stop in the kitchen, as the nation's culinary claim to fame has captivated the interest of scientists, too.

More than 500 research papers have been published so far, including research on microorganisms, enzymes, storage, raw materials, hygiene, history and cooking.

Research has shown kimchi's nutritional value, such as high levels of vitamin C and carotene, and as a good source of minerals. Amounts of the vitamin B complex are much higher in marine products, and fish kimchi is a good source of protein and calcium.

The chemicals composition of kimchi is also beneficial in boosting the metabolism, easing pain and detoxifying.

Funded by the government and private sector, national research projects on kimchi continue to be carried out, as well as at universities and research institutes.

The latest research was conducted by the Kimchi Research Institute and included in a special chapter of the Handbook of Vegetable Preservation and Processing published last month.

"We noted that kimchi has seven health benefits and nutritional value," said Park Kun-Young, the institute's director and one of the chapter's authors.

The first one is that kimchi boosts the appetite but it is low in calories (about 10 calories for 30 grams of cabbage or lettuce kimchi).

The lactic acid produced by the fermentation of kimchi works to prevent constipation and colon cancer.

"Vegetable kimchi, especially bae-chu or cabbage kimchi, has an anticancer effect," said Park, a professor at Pusan National University's Department of Food Science and Nutrition.

The pickled dish is also a good source of probiotics, can decrease serum cholesterol and increase fibrinolytic activity.

If you are seeking a clear and youthful complexion, kimchi is said to have an antioxidative effect which works against aging.

Moreover, kimchi also increases the body's immunity function, stimulated by garlic, the essential ingredient of kimchi. Garlic also promotes the absorption of vitamin B1 and the fast digestion of protein.

Kimchi sales increased during the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) earlier this year after speculation it could prevent the disease. Park said that there has been no official research on its SARS-fighting abilities.

However, Park was concerned about the high salt level in some kimchi. Salty and pickled foods are believed to be contributors to stomach cancer, the number one cancer in both Korea and Japan.

"Maintaining the right salt level is important. The good one would be less than 3 percent," Park said.

As competition in kimchi sales is getting tighter, especially with China, Korea hopes the scientific proof of kimchi's health and nutritional benefit will help the land of its origin win out.

-- Hera Diani