Trader Joe’s vegan Kimchi allows me to fermented cabbage, a vegan probiotic

Kimchi. Today I finally got to try Kimchi, thanks to Trader Joe’s stocking “Korean Napa Cabbage Kimchi “with chili peppers and garlic. It is authentic and traditional kimchi, even made in South Korea, home to this dish that is an obsession to so many. And what is Kimchi? Fermented cabbage with all kinds of special spices.

Since I want to learn to make kimchi, a very healthy dish that is a vegan probiotic, I buy Kimchi, eager to try it out. Well, the garlic and spice nearly knocked my socks off, and fermented food certainly smells different. The truth is that I had to make myself take the first bites, but then I started wanting to take a few bites more.

Suddenly I was in for a scare. Most Kimchi is made with brine shrimp, other shellfish perhaps, and almost always with lots of MSG. It is the shellfish part that scares me most because I am allergic to shellfish and have to carry an Epipen. I did read the label before I purchased this Kimchi, even read it twice, but I check it again. No mention of brine shrimp, and really I feel mostly fine. Then I see the bold “V” at the side, and I desperately hope this means vegan, just as I thought when I bought it. It is! Trader Joe’s has stocked vegan Kimchi next to the refrigerated veggies. And there is no mention of MSG either.

I had to try Kimchi before I went to all the effort to make it. I found great recipes in An8 Phyo’s “Raw Foods Essentials” cookbook, and since this raw vegan chef is of Korean heritage, I knew she’d really come up with a good option. Otherwise, most Kimchi recipes include the brine shrimp, the MSG, perhaps more salt, and a worry about what it in the special red sauce used.

What else do I know about Kimchi? It can be so smelly that South Korean airlines apparently have banned bringing Kimchi on board. People who do so can be banned for life from that airline, and some restaurants only serve this and other fermented foods in their back dining areas. And the real Kimchi is an art form, taking a very long time to ferment to perfection, with just the right ingredients added. Kimchi recipes in families are closely guarded, and it can take all day just to prepare the Kimchi to ferment in special pots in the ground or backrooms.

I saw a Netflix movie about it called “Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi” and conversed with others about Kimchi. Even saw a job ads for South Korea that said that people who didn’t like kimchi might not be happy living there since Kimchi was an important part of the food culture. (Apparently so well loved that people actually did try to smuggle some beloved portions of their grandmother’s special Kimchi on to the plane and got banned.)

So my immediate reaction is that I strangely want to eat more of it. I don’t know why. But it invites me to take another bite. It is very low in calories, very healthy, but a bit spicy and smelly, too. Also I know this is vegan, but I don’t know if this Kimchi is pasteurized. If so, it would not have the super high levels of healthy probiotics and other well known nutrients. Kimchi and sauerkraut have a lot in common that way.

One of the most interesting parts about this Kimchi is that it has stopped me from eating the bag of raw cashews. I’m really grateful that Trader Joe’s came up with a vegan version of Kimchi made the traditional way. Most Kimchi is not vegan or vegetarian.

By the way, if you decide to buy some Trader Joe’s Kimchi, you will find a packet fastened tightly inside the package. That is to dispel gas since the food is fermenting. There are various warnings not to eat this package. It is not a package of spice or sauce or something else luscious.

I’m saving the rest of this Kimchi for my husband. I’m not sure if my food allergies will allow me to eat lots more of this Kimchi, but I definitely am glad it is an option. I’d really like to have a vegan version of probiotics and now can say I’ve tried Kimchi, even if people in Korea would probably say that I haven’t tried the real one. But then again, I’ve read many recipes, and even vegan recipes often call for lots of MSG, something that astounds me.

Now I’m about to check out a recipe for chocolate chia pudding. If I can create a good one, I’ll post it. And I’ll soon answer the question about what raw agave tastes like. I got some from Trader Joe’s, too.

Note: It is likely that making Kimchi at home would be healthiest and provide the most probiotic, enzyme effect. An Phyo’s cookbooks offer several raw vegan kimchi recipes.