Kimchi

[dmw]

Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone else experiences problems with eating kimchi - I basically find that if I eat kimchi uncooked  then it literally passes thru my body within 40mins and leaves me with really sore/upset stomach for a few hours  :-(   I am not eating it by itself but as part of a normal meal too ... even the slightest amount of "raw" kimchi seems to affect me...

I regularly eat really hot spicy curries and can eat kimchi jigge with no side effects whatsoever....

strangee...

[madison79]

It messed with my stomach the first year but I still love it. :)

[confusedsafferinkorea]

Guess your body doesn't really like it. It is high in sodium and a lot of debate has gone around as to whether it is good or bad for you.

If your body rejects it then give it a miss.

[cornflakes]

anything else bothering your stomach or JUST kimchi?
It could be psychological.
Just eat it.  Kimchi is good for you.

[confusedsafferinkorea]

anything else bothering your stomach or JUST kimchi?
It could be psychological.
Just eat it.  Kimchi is good for you.

I think you should read the attached document before you say this.

[cornflakes]

What you didn't know is that Kimchi is made differently depending on where you are and who is making it.
It doesn't always have to have a lot of sodium.   It's been recognized worldwide as one of the healthiest foods.
Prior to the coming of westernized fast foods and fried foods, Korea has had among the lowest rates in heart disease and obesity and they've been eating it for 5,000 years.  Stop complaining.

[confusedsafferinkorea]

What you didn't know is that Kimchi is made differently depending on where you are and who is making it.
It doesn't always have to have a lot of sodium.   It's been recognized worldwide as one of the healthiest foods.
Stop complaining.

Who's complaining? Did you read the document?

I quote from its conclusion:

CONCLUSION: Kimchi, soybean pastes, and the CYP1A1
Ile/Val or Val/Val are risk factors, and nonfermented
seafood and alliums are protective factors against gastric
cancer in Koreans. Salt or some chemicals contained in
kimchi and soybean pastes, which are increased by
fermentation, would play important roles in the
carcinogenesis of stomach cancer. Polymorphisms of the
CYP1A1, CYP2E1, GSTM1, GSTT1, and ALDH2 genes could
modify the effects of some environmental factors on the
risk of gastric cancer.

I just said read it before you recommend it. The OP's stomach doesn't like it, so why eat it? If it was any other food in your home country and it upset someone's stomach, would you say, 'just eat it'? Maybe not.

[amarok18]

I hate kimchi.

[scholes]

What you didn't know is that Kimchi is made differently depending on where you are and who is making it.
It doesn't always have to have a lot of sodium.   It's been recognized worldwide as one of the healthiest foods.
Prior to the coming of westernized fast foods and fried foods, Korea has had among the lowest rates in heart disease and obesity and they've been eating it for 5,000 years.  Stop complaining.

5000 years?, lol. Do you have proof from International scientist that Koreans existed for so long?

[jimmyeatworldwar]

Guess your body doesn't really like it. It is high in sodium and a lot of debate has gone around as to whether it is good or bad for you.

If your body rejects it then give it a miss.

personally I don't like kimchi, but it is considered a very healthy food.
check out
http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20410300,00.html

And yes, I did read your article, but there is no "debate" on whether the food is good or bad for you. It is universally considered a health food.
its like saying cheese is bad for you because of the immense amoiunt of saturated fat,
or milk being bad because it increases calcium loss from bones.
 

[Spongeblob]

Kimchi is best served with beer Man.  Just open up your mind and let the gooey Kimchi enlighten your taste buds.  It's 5000 years of culture all wrapped up!  Your digestive system is probably exfoliating all that steak and meat eater stuff from your bowel things.  (Opens up a can of creamed vegetable creamer and offers everyone some for their green soju tea.)

[dmw]

Thanks for responses guys - I like to experiment with new foods etc, but uncooked kimchi just seems to not agree with me - no other food messes with me in this way ???? (I try it every now + again w same results) - nevermind.... will stick to cooking it... 

[jetwaveradio]

I used to eat kimchi straight out of the jar until I began to develop a kind of intolerance to it.
Had a kimchi based soup at a friend's the other night.... They were not pleased with what I did to their bathroom.

[eggplant_tyrant]

Cooking is best anyway, as kimchi jiggae is the highest form of kimchi :)

But yeah, if it doesn't agree with you, don't eat it. Just be prepared to explain yourself over and over again -- "Yes, thank you, I've tried kimchi. No, it's not too spicy, it just doesn't sit very well in my stomach. Funny story, cooked kimchi doesn't cause the same problems -- maybe I have a raw kimchi allergy!" Then nod sagely. 

[justanotherwaygook]

Cooking is best anyway, as kimchi jiggae is the highest form of kimchi :)

But yeah, if it doesn't agree with you, don't eat it. Just be prepared to explain yourself over and over again -- "Yes, thank you, I've tried kimchi. No, it's not too spicy, it just doesn't sit very well in my stomach. Funny story, cooked kimchi doesn't cause the same problems -- maybe I have a raw kimchi allergy!" Then nod sagely. 

It's easier just to say that it's too spicy.  Anything else and OP will be told that he is wrong, kimchi is very delicious and very healthy.

[Frozencat99]

Cooking is best anyway, as kimchi jiggae is the highest form of kimchi :)

But yeah, if it doesn't agree with you, don't eat it. Just be prepared to explain yourself over and over again -- "Yes, thank you, I've tried kimchi. No, it's not too spicy, it just doesn't sit very well in my stomach. Funny story, cooked kimchi doesn't cause the same problems -- maybe I have a raw kimchi allergy!" Then nod sagely. 

It's easier just to say that it's too spicy.  Anything else and OP will be told that he is wrong, kimchi is very delicious and very healthy.

I don't like raw kimchi worked for me. Nowadays my coworkers do rock-scissors-paper for who gets my kimchi at lunch.

If his coworkers are lame, though, too spicy/allergy is the route I'd use.

[dmw]

I don't get pressured into eating it and it is in an optional container with school luncheeee so no probs there ... just thought it was a rather strange reaction seeing as though nothing else seems to affect me like that.

No worries... think I've learnt my lesson for trying it over the past 12 months on and off with no improvement. Just avoid it uncooked :-)

[dadaclonefly]

You could be having a problem with kimchi because of its fermentation process, unrelated to any spiciness. I used to make my own kimchi, sauerkraut and other fermented foods, and a few of my friends with less than iron stomachs sometimes had some digestive troubles with my concoctions. If you want to be able to handle it, I suggest eating it on your own in small amounts regularly, maybe just a tiny bit at first, slowly increasing. Your stomach will eventually grow accustomed to it, and as a bonus you will have a digestive system that won't hassle you as much when you travel to far-flung places with different standards of food hygiene.

[yeti08]

OP -- maybe you can't do the whole spice + raw oysters +  raw shrimp.  It tore me up at first too.  Now I eat it in small doses if it's not too fishy and sour.

[Spongeblob]

BTW, Kimchi, like Korea, is not 5000 years old.

Rotten cabbage has been around for 5000 years Man!  Don't eat it though.  :)