Words: Laura Potter. Photograph Stockfood
You may not realise it, but kimchi isn’t always vegetarian. This Korean dish, made from fermented cabbage, usually gets its umami taste from salty elements of the sea, including fish paste or fish sauce. Veggies and vegans needn’t worry, though, as a new US study has shown that kimchi made without fish products contains the same type of bacteria, so still gives the probiotic benefits. Plant-based versions swap in miso for the umami flavour, and as that’s a fermented soybean paste, it’s also good for your gut. The study compared vegan and traditional kimchi and both were teeming with healthy lactobacillus bacteria. Good stuff. For even more ways to up your fermented food intake,