While Kimchi is no longer number 1 in the trendy foodstuff fashion chart, it’s still as good for you as ever. And just as funky. The Cultured Collective have some of the best kimchi you can buy.
At the height of the Kimchi craze I actually made some of my own, but it nearly caused divorce.
The serious hum coming off it was uncontainable and Mrs FP was loud in her complaints about’that bloody awful stuff in the fridge’.Perhaps on reflection I shouldn’t have made so much; a two-litre jar was a bit excessive.
Most of it eventually went to the allotment compost heap, where I imagine the red worms lapped it up.
Kimchi is for those unfamiliar, is a generic name for fermented products. A staple of Korean food it originally started as a way of preserving vegetables through the winter. Gradually over the centuries it became spicier.
The classic KImchi is fresh chinese leaf cabbage, mooli radish, carrot, spring onion and salt, lots of salt. This is all placed in a jar and lacto-fermentation takes place over time with naturally occurring bacteria turning the sugars in the vegetables into lactic acid, a natural preservative.
Then when you eat it, lots of friendly bacteria aid digestion.
You can keep Kimchi for up to three months in a jar in the fridge, if you don’t live with Mrs FP.
How do you eat it? Out of the jar with a spoon if you’re me but more refined people eat it as a condiment or in cooking. Add it to sandwiches, salads and wraps or spice up stir-fries, rice and noodle dishes.
At Cultured Collective they live, and presumably literally breathe, Kimchi which they make in the Cotswolds using the highest quality, natural ingredients in an environment powered by sustainable energy and presented in easily recyclable materials.
It’s the most awarded kimchi range in the UK.
They make four kinds, we tried the Classic and it was all everything good kimchi should be, as funky as a Bruno Mars track and packed full of those sharp, sour, addictive flavours, along with the (pretty) hot kick of the Korean chili powder – Gochugaru.
Mrs FP was even persuaded to have some in a cheese sandwich, and she actually liked it, so that’s quite an endorsement.She may even let me leave what’s left in the fridge for a few days – I do like a midnight snack.
The Cultured Collective Kimchi range is available from fine food delis, Ocado, Planet Organic and Whole Foods Market.
Classic Kimchi – RRP £5.45 for 250g – GLUTEN FREE
The best-selling traditional Classic Kimchi remains true to Korea’s national dish. Piquant and spicy with moreish umami notes and a satisfying crunch
Turmeric & Ginger Kimchi – RRP £5.45 for 250g – GLUTEN FREE | VEGETARIAN | VEGAN
Flush with the vibrant golden glow of turmeric and ginger along with a pinch of fiery cayenne and savoury sea greens, this will get your senses singing. Circulation-supporting ginger and cayenne, together with turmeric (a natural anti-inflammatory) and wakame (a sea vegetable rich in iodine) are added for unique flavour notes and more wellness benefits.
Zesty White Kimchi – RRP £5.45 for 250g – GLUTEN FREE | VEGETARIAN | VEGAN
White kimchi is a traditional variety of Korean kimchi made without chilli flakes. Non-spicy and fragrant with warming ginger and subtle savoury notes.
Vegan Classic Kimchi – RRP £5.79 for 250g – GLUTEN FREE | VEGETARIAN | VEGAN
The Classic Kimchi is reimagined in this plant-based version: piquant with subtle savoury notes and a satisfying crunch.
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