Kim Kong kimchi review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Kim Kong kimchi. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this vegan kimchi.
You can find this kimchi in some food stores in the UK, most likely in an organic shop.
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 Korean food made by fermenting cabbage, spring onion and other vegetables. It is unpasteurised, so it naturally contains live cultures from the fermentation process, and it also provides fibre from the vegetables themselves.
Ingredients of Kim Kong kimchi
This is essentially a traditional-style kimchi but made with Japanese miso for umami flavour instead of fish sauce or shrimp paste. It is a vegan-friendly fusion rather than a strictly traditional kimchi.
The ingredients are Chinese leaf (aka napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage), spring onion, carrot, gochugaru (chilli flakes), aka miso [soybean, rice, yeast, ethyl alcohol, koji, salt], ginger, garlic, salt and sugar.
In summary, it isn’t a wholly traditional kimchi, but there is nothing concerning in the ingredients.
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Benefits of Kim Kong kimchi
Live cultures
This kimchi is a living, unpasteurised product, so it contains the live microbes that grow and multiply naturally during fermentation.
Because kimchi is typically made through a wild or natural fermentation process – using the microbes already present on the vegetables, other ingredients and equipment – the exact strains and quantities aren’t known. Although this kind of fermentation typically results in a broad mix of microbes.
Fibre
This kimchi contains natural vegetable fibres from Chinese leaf, spring onion and carrot. These fibres reach the large intestine where they can be fermented by gut microbes, and dietary fibre is known to support regular bowel function.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are compounds produced by microbes during fermentation.
Fermentation produces a range of postbiotic compounds in kimchi, including lactic acid, small amounts of short-chain fatty acids, exopolysaccharides and various antioxidant metabolites from the vegetables. These contribute to the flavour, acidity and natural functional qualities of fermented foods, but their specific biological effects in kimchi haven’t been established.
Garlic
Garlic provides natural flavour as well as nutrients such as vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and selenium. It also contains antioxidant compounds that form part of its characteristic taste and aroma.
Ginger
Ginger provides natural antioxidant compounds such as gingerols and shogaols.
Vegetables
This kimchi is made with Chinese leaf, spring onion and carrot, which supply fibre, natural antioxidants and vitamins A, C and K. These nutrients support skin, vision and immune function.
Gochugaru
Gochugaru is Korean chilli flakes made from sun-dried red peppers. It contains capsaicin and carotenoid antioxidants that contribute to the colour, flavour and natural antioxidant activity of the kimchi.
Low in sugar
This kimchi is low in sugar, containing just 1% sugar.
Flavour
The aroma is complex with ginger, garlic, lemon and chilli characteristics coming through most.
However, the flavour lacks the complexity and depth of other kimchi. You mostly get a moderate chilli heat and garlic, but there is not much umami character. There’s also a lot more liquid than other kimchi and this might be why the vegetables are soggy and lack a crunch. The acidity is moderate.
Overall, the taste is quite underwhelming and the mouthfeel is similar.
Uses
Given the suboptimal flavour, this kimchi would be best added to soups or stir fries.
Cost of Kim Kong kimchi
We bought a 330g jar from an organic store for £5.99 - which makes it very expensive per gram.
Review summary
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Kim Kong kimchi is a fairly traditional kimchi but the flavour is underwhelming and the cost is high.
Pros
fairly traditional ingredients (with the exception of miso)
source of vitamins from the vegetables
contains ginger, garlic and chilli
low in sugar
suitable for vegans
Cons
taste is underwhelming
soggy texture
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 review was written by Travis, founder of Hello Gut Health.
A long-time gut health writer and advocate with over ten years of experience exploring the science of the microbiome and fermentation.
He combines careful research with practical testing to help readers make informed, trustworthy choices.
He has reviewed over 150 gut health products.
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