Eaten Alive classic kimchi review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Eaten Alive classic kimchi. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this kimchi.
You can find this kimchi in some food stores in the UK, most likely in an organic shop. It is made in south London.
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 which is made by fermenting cabbage and other vegetables.
It is a living product full of live cultures, some of which may be beneficial to our health, and prebiotics such as cabbage, garlic and spring onion which feed the good microbes in your gut.
Ingredients of Eaten Alive classic kimchi
This kimchi includes a mixture of traditional and non-traditional ingredients.
Because it doesn’t include fish sauce or shrimp paste, I personally wouldn’t call it a ‘classic’ kimchi. This does mean that it is suitable for vegans though.
The ingredients are Chinese leaf (aka napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage), carrot, daikon, spring onion, salt, apple, red chilli, tamari soy sauce (soybeans, water and salt), chilli powder, ginger, garlic and starter cultures.
The non-traditional ingredients are:
Apple – used here as a natural sweetener (traditionally, small amounts of sugar or pear might be used instead)
Tamari soy sauce – Korean kimchi typically uses fish sauce, salted shrimp or anchovy sauce for umami flavour. Tamari serves as a vegan substitute
Starter cultures – traditional kimchi relies on wild fermentation, driven by the natural lactic acid bacteria already present on the cabbage and in the environment. Adding commercial starter cultures is a modern practice used to standardise fermentation and flavour consistency
In summary, it isn’t a wholly traditional kimchi, but there is nothing concerning in the ingredients.
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 Eaten Alive classic kimchi
This kimchi has many health benefits, especially related to its live cultures and prebiotic content.
Live cultures
This kimchi is a living, unpasteurised product, so it naturally contains active live cultures. The release of gas each time the jar is opened shows ongoing fermentation.
However, the specific strains and quantities of live cultures (in colony forming units) are not stated. It’s also unclear how inoculating this kimchi with starter cultures affects its microbial diversity compared with a traditionally wild-fermented version. Some introduced strains may dominate and reduce the overall diversity of microbes.
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially beneficial compounds produced by microbes during fermentation.
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
Prebiotics
Kimchi is fantastic for gut health because it contains prebiotics as well as probiotics. Prebiotics are fibre which feed the good bacteria in your gut and help them multiply. The cabbage, garlic and spring onion in this kimchi are all prebiotic vegetables.
So not only are you getting the beneficial microbes, you are also getting the best food to feed them!
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 Chinese cabbage, daikon, spring onion and carrot.
Collectively these vegetables provide fibre, natural antioxidants and vitamins A, C and K that contribute to healthy digestion, immune defence and overall gut health.
Red chilli and chilli powder
These ingredients provide capsaicin and carotenoid antioxidants, which may help reduce inflammation, support healthy circulation and protect cells from oxidative stress.
Low in sugar
This kimchi is extremely low in sugar, containing just 0.1%.
Flavour
The aroma is typical of kimchi - very complex and mostly of ginger, garlic and lemon.
The flavour is fairly complex, but not as much as some others. You get an umami character at the end which is a little bit earthy. The acidity is moderate as is the chilli heat. There are fairly large chunks of cabbage which give it a good crunch, but there are perhaps too many stems of the cabbage.
Overall, the taste is good and not flawed in any way, but it isn’t as satisfying or as deep as kimchi can be.
Uses
This kimchi would have various applications. It could be used as a side dish or added to soups, stir frys, with eggs or in a kimchi cheese toastie.
Cost of Eaten Alive classic kimchi
We bought a 375g jar from an organic store for £7.49 - which places it at the very expensive end of the market.
Review summary
Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Eaten Alive Classic Kimchi isn’t a truly traditional kimchi, as it’s made with added starter cultures and includes some non-traditional ingredients. The flavour, while certainly not bad, isn’t quite as satisfying as kimchi can be. Ultimately, the value it provides is questionable given the high cost.
Pros
high in prebiotic fibres
good source of vitamins from the vegetables
various health benefits from the ginger, garlic and chilli
very low in sugar
approachable level of heat (however some might find it too mild)
suitable for vegans
Cons
made with starter cultures, rather than traditional wild fermentation
some non-traditional ingredients (if that bothers you)
taste is a little underwhelming
very expensive
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!
Related articles
