Biona kimchi review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Biona kimchi. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this shelf-stable kimchi.
You can find this kimchi in some supermarkets and food stores in the UK.
You might also be interested in reading our article on the best probiotics in the UK if you want to add more healthy microbes to your diet.
What is kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional food product from Korea. It is made by fermenting cabbage and other vegetables.
Kimchi is usually a living product full of probiotics (ie live beneficial microbes) and prebiotics such as cabbage, garlic and onion which feed the good microbes in your gut. However, this kimchi does not contain any probiotics or other live cultures as it has been pasteurised after fermentation to make it shelf stable at room temperature.
Ingredients of Biona kimchi
The ingredients in this vegan and organic kimchi are a mix of traditional and non-traditional.
It includes napa cabbage (30%), white cabbage (28%), carrots (20%), radish, onion, tomatoes (from concentrate), sea salt, ginger, bell pepper, garlic and chilli (<1%).
Tomatoes and bell pepper are not typical ingredients in a kimchi.
And being a vegan kimchi, it doesn’t include any umami-giving animal products like fish sauce or shrimp paste.
In summary, it’s a natural kimchi and doesn’t include any added sugar, thickeners, flavour enhancers or preservatives.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Benefits of Biona kimchi
This kimchi has does not have a key benefit which kimchi should have - probiotics. As mentioned, this is because the product has been pasteurised (after fermentation) to make it shelf stable which kills all the live cultures. This is a big drawback of this product.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially beneficial compounds produced by microbes during fermentation (which is before pasteurisation in this case).
Here are the main postbiotic compounds typically present in kimchi after fermentation:
Lactic acid – helps maintain an acidic gut environment that supports beneficial microbes and may strengthen the intestinal barrier
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) – mainly acetate and propionate, which help regulate inflammation, support microbial balance and provide fuel for beneficial gut bacteria
Exopolysaccharides (EPS) – produced by Lactobacillus plantarum and related species; may strengthen the gut barrier and modulate immune responses
Polyphenol metabolites – transformed plant antioxidants from cabbage, chilli and other vegetables that can have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity
And these postbiotics should remain relatively intact after pasteurisation.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are fibre which feed the good bacteria in your gut and help them multiply. The cabbage, onion and garlic in this kimchi are all prebiotic vegetables.
Read more about the benefits of prebiotics.
Garlic
This kimchi contains garlic which has a range of health benefits including supporting immune function as well as reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. It is also a good source of antioxidants as well as various vitamins and minerals such as manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium.
Read more about the benefits of garlic.
Ginger
Ginger has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It can also contribute to digestive health, weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels.
Read more about the benefits of ginger.
Vegetables
This kimchi is a good source of vegetables containing napa cabbage, white cabbage, carrot, radish, onion, tomato and bell pepper.
Collectively these vegetables provide fibre, carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamins A, C and K that support digestion, antioxidant defence and immune health.
Flavour
The aroma is fairly complex, with garlic and ginger showing most. It also has the usual lemony aroma found in kimchi.
The flavour is also multifaceted. Most apparent is a high acidity which is almost puckering. Behind all the vegetables is a solid base of garlic and ginger. Otherwise there’s a medium to high heat, but not much umami character or depth. There’s a good crunch to some ingredients, but others feel soggy.
Overall, the taste is fine enough but nothing to write home about. The lacking umami character does indeed make it a bit underwhelming and not as satisfying as kimchi usually is.
Uses
This kimchi would be quite versatile, but it wouldn’t bring the star power to dishes which a great kimchi would.
In saying that, it could still be used as a side dish and would work with breakfast eggs or to add spice to a fry up.
Cost of Biona kimchi
You can buy a 350g jar from Tesco for £5.20 - which is very expensive by any measure, and frankly bordering on ridiculous for a shelf stable kimchi which isn’t a living product.
Review summary
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Biona kimchi is a pasteurised kimchi which means it doesn’t contain probiotics - usually a key reason for eating kimchi. Otherwise the taste is fine but lacks depth. And the price is far too high.
Pros
organic ingredients
high in prebiotic fibres
good source of nutrients from the vegetables
various health benefits from the ginger and garlic
Cons
contains no probiotics or other living cultures
lacks umami flavour and depth
very expensive for what it offers
uses some non-traditional ingredients such as tomatoes and bell pepper
Now read about the best kimchi in the UK!
Factors we consider in our ratings
The factors we consider when doing a review (and the weightings of each of these) may vary depending on the product we are testing, but here are the key general factors we consider when we settle on a rating for a product.
Health benefits
We find out how the product will be good for your health and outline the benefits for you in simple language. This often involves doing research so you don’t have to. We often link to scientific studies or articles summarising scientific findings so you can dig deeper if you want to.
Things detrimental to health
We want to highlight where a product might include something bad for your health - even if the product might be good for you in another way. This could include such things as pointing out certain additives it contains or high sugar levels.
How it’s made
This will vary depending on the product, but we want to see a quality process for making it and quality ingredients. For example, we want to see a kombucha traditionally fermented with lots of different microbial strains and we want to see a yoghurt made with fresh milk and not milk powders.
Price
While we expect quality products to be more expensive, they still have to be priced within reason. On the other side of things, a product which is priced very competitively will get a ratings boost based on the value it provides.
Flavour
For some products flavour won’t be a factor (eg probiotic tablets), but for others, like yoghurt or kimchi, flavour is a key aspect because these products are made to be enjoyed as well as being healthy! We will try to be as subjective as possible and describe the flavour in detail so you can get an idea of whether you would like it or not.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Your reviewer
This hands-on review was written by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
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