SEOUL — Kimchi brings both health and beauty, according to devotees
trying to promote South Korea's most famous food -- a pickled and fermented
vegetable dish -- to the wider world.
"You know why there are so many beautiful women in Korea and Korean women
have such smooth skin? It's because they have been grown on kimchi," claims
Kim Sung-Hoon, who chairs an upcoming Gwangju Kimchi Festival.
"If you want to age gracefully and have beautiful skin, eat Korean kimchi,"
said Kim, a former agriculture minister.
Such assertions are not new given kimchi's iconic status -- it has its own
museum in Seoul and was blasted into space with the country's first
astronaut in 2008.
There have even been claims, unsupported by scientific evidence, that it can
ward off bird flu and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
But some experts agree that substances in the side dish, which is eaten with
just about every meal, may delay skin ageing.
"I would like to say to foreigners: eat Korean kimchi a lot," said Professor
Song Yeong-Ok of the Kimchi Research Institute at Busan National University.
Lactic acid bacteria and plant chemicals may help retard skin ageing and
reduce cholesterol levels, she said.
Kimchi is made from various fermented vegetables including cabbage, radishes
and cucumbers.
"The calorie content is very low and it's full of fibre and vitamins," Song
told AFP at a recent promotion attended by European diplomats for this
autumn's festival.
Jean-Philippe Baudrey, a senior official with the European Union Chamber of
Commerce in Korea, needs no persuading.
"I love kimchi, especially Mool kimchi," he said, referring to a variety
made of radishes and cabbage fermented in salty water.
"Kimchi with steamed rice, some mackerel and eggs are a perfect match. You
can eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner," he said. "Kimchi is also a
good appetiser."
It's also an ideal accompaniment for the country's spirit drink, Baudrey
said. "Tofu Kimchi (bean curd and sauteed kimchi) matches very well with
soju."
Baudrey said his favourite kimchi comes from the southwestern provinces of
North and South Jeolla, where Gwangju city is located. He praised its
"deeper" taste and softer texture.
Gwangju festival chairman Kim said the region's favourable weather, fertile
soil, sun-dried sea salt, fermented anchovy and other sea food combine to
produce the nation's best variety.
Gwangju has staged the festival since 1994. This year's event is set for
October 23-November 1 under the slogan of "Say kimchi" -- a Korean version
of Western photographers' traditional request to "Say cheese."
The event will feature a kimchi-making contest, a conference on the dish,
cultural performances, do-it-yourself kimchi lessons -- and buffets
featuring kimchi.
It is scheduled to attract the country's best creators of the dish as well
as fermented food makers from overseas.
"I believe the festival will help globalise kimchi and Korean cuisine," said
Gwangju mayor Park Kwang-Tae.
There are scores of regional varieties but most often kimchi is made of
cabbage, soaked in salt water to soften it.
It is then rinsed with fresh water and mixed with other ingredients
including powdered chili, salt, garlic, ginger, spring onion -- and in the
case of Jeolla kimchi, anchovy preserve and pear juice.
Fermentation lasts a few days or a few years, depending on individual taste.
"Some of my friends don't like it because of its smell and strong taste,"
Baudrey said. "It's like cheese. Cheese smells bad but the taste is good."
Source : AFP
