Is kimchi a suitable addition to a noodle soup?

Question

I have just returned from having purchased a can of kimchi. I have no idea what the contents are, since they are written in Korean, but thought that mixing it into the broth at the last minute might increase the soup's flavour.

Is there a flaw in my reasoning?

Asked by Doug

Answer

Kimchi are not preferred to be added directly to soup. Usually you would fry the Kimchi (ideally in Sesame oil) to slightly transparent or having minor brown on the edges, before adding into the soup, and boil for . That is not only applicable to KimChi JiGae- but also other varieties of KimChi broth (e.g. hotpot, Kimchi ramen/noodles (BuDae JiGae) etc.)

Adding Kimchi directly to soup/broth and boil is more a Northern Chinese way of cooking (where Kimchi is not called kimchi but literally called "Spicy Pickled Cabbage").

Frying beforehand and adding directly to soup/water can taste very, very different.

Answered by KMC

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Does washing kimchi with water reduce the sodium content much?

Question

Does washing kimchi just before eating it reduce its sodium content much, or do I have to put it in water overnight or several days?

Asked by Jisang Yoo

Answer

Answer depends on how the kim chi is made.

I make it using a variant on this recipe. The protocol there is to treat the leaves with a salty brine for 4 hours, then rinse them extensively.

No further salt is added in the recipe, so any salt in the final product will have osmosed into the leaves. Most of that salt won't come back out except with a prolonged soak*.

I've seen other kim chi recipes that do involve adding back salt after the initial brining and rinse. The sodium content of those could be reduced with a quick rinse, but you'll likely lose flavor too.

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• Juices in with the kim chi are likely at euilibrium with sodium in the leaves, so simply pressing the stuff lightly to remove as much juice as possible might be the best way to limit sodium without sacrificing too much flavor.

Answered by Wayfaring Stranger

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