Peichin's Table vegan kimchi review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Peichin's Table vegan kimchi. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this whole-leaf kimchi.
You can find this kimchi in some food stores in the UK, most likely in an organic shop. It is made in Cambridge.
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.
This kimchi is fairly unique among commercial kimchi because it’s made in the traditional pogi style, where the Napa cabbage is kept in long sections rather than chopped into small pieces. This style helps the cabbage stay juicier and keep a better texture.
Ingredients of Peichin's Table vegan kimchi
This is a traditional kimchi except that it doesn’t include any fish product like fish sauce or salted shrimp.
The ingredients are Napa cabbage, spring onion, carrots, daikon, onions, ginger, garlic, gochugaru, glutinous rice, sugar, pear and kelp.
In case you were wondering why some ingredients are used:
Glutinous rice – thickens the kimchi paste and provides fermentable sugars that support the fermentation process
Pear – adds natural sweetness and is a traditional way to give kimchi depth without relying on refined sugar alone
Kelp – contributes umami flavour in a vegan-friendly way
In summary, it’s a traditional kimchi minus fish sauce which doesn’t include any concerning ingredients.
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Benefits of Peichin's Table vegan 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 includes various ingredients which contain fibre such as Napa cabbage, spring onion, carrots, daikon, onions, garlic and pear.
And the onions, spring onion and garlic are prebiotic vegetables which supply natural fructans that selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria.
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 nutrients such as vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and selenium. It also contains antioxidant compounds which help counter everyday oxidative stress and support general cellular protection.
Ginger
Ginger also provides antioxidant compounds such as gingerols and shogaols.
Vegetables
This kimchi includes Napa cabbage, spring onion, carrots, daikon, onions, garlic and pear, which collectively provide vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and small amounts of potassium and manganese. These nutrients are involved in normal immune function, bone maintenance and energy metabolism.
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.
Flavour
The aroma is typically complex with spring onion, garlic, ginger and lemon characteristics coming through most.
The taste is also nice and complex. You get a lovely deep chilli taste which has a moderate heat that builds over time. The ginger and garlic are also prominent. There’s a decent amount of umami, especially considering there’s no fish sauce or similar. The acidity is low to moderate.
The texture is lovely and crunchy - and not at all soggy.
Overall, the flavour is very good and the texture is spot on.
Uses
Given the nice flavour, this kimchi would have various uses. It could be used as a side dish or added to soups, stir fries, with eggs or in a kimchi cheese toastie.
Cost of Peichin's Table vegan kimchi
We bought a 450g jar from an organic store for £8.50 - which makes it very expensive per gram.
Review summary
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Peichin's Table vegan kimchi uses traditional ingredients (minus fish sauce) and has a lovely flavour and texture. It is expensive though.
Pros
traditional ingredients
contains ginger and garlic
made in the traditional whole-leaf pogi style
source of fibre
source of vitamins and minerals from the vegetables
nice, complex flavour
great texture
suitable for vegans
Cons
no information on sugar content
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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