These 10 brands of kimchi are packed with gut-healthy bacteria that help your whole body function better.
The key to buying kimchi, a gut-healthy food, is to start in the grocery store’s refrigerated section. Read the label and look for brands that say they are ‘raw,’ ‘live,’ ‘probiotic,’ ‘cultured,’ or ‘fermented.’ Any combination of these keywords, does not have to be all.
Then, avoid any with a lot of sugar or start by paying attention to the sugar and starch content in the list of ingredients.
The bad bacteria in your gut thrive on sugar. Going overboard on sugar can cause harmful bacteria to outnumber the good, leading to inflammation and even chronic disease.
Not all kimchi foods have probiotics in them. If it is shelf-stable, it does not have live probiotic microorganisms, a.k.a. good bacteria.
What is Kimchi?
The main ingredients in this Korean dish are napa cabbage, Daikon radish, carrots, onions, chili peppers, fish sauce, anchovy sauce, and for added flavor, garlic, ginger, and Korean chili (gochugaru).
However, this is just one type of kimchi; there are literally thousands of ways to make kimchi. The main flavor notes in kimchi include sour taste, spicy, umami, and sometimes slightly sweet.
Related Post: What Does Kimchi Taste Like?
Fresh kimchi can also be purchased at Asian markets, restaurants, and sushi bars. Many restaurants make their own kimchi and sometimes sell it on the side.
Mother In Law’s Kimchi
Mother In Law’s Kimchi is one of the most popular Vegan Kimchi brands. And it comes in three vegan varieties.
- Vegan Table Cut Napa Cabbage
- Vegan White Napa Cabbage with Ginger Kimchi
- Vegan Daikon Radish Kimchi
And one that is made of fish sauce and bone broth, called House Kimchi. All three make an excellent side dish to any meal.
Mama Kim’s Kimchi
How does it taste?
Mama Kim’s Kimchi is out of this world! For me, it is the closest to homemade kimchi.
Mama Kim’s Kimchi is the highest-rated Kimchi available on Amazon with 4 1/4 stars and over 300 reviews. Probably because it is a super fresh product, they make the kimchi within three days of it being shipped.
Buy Online: Amazon
Jongga
How does it taste?
This kimchi has an excellent flavor and crunch factor, and it is on the mild side. So if you prefer less heat, this is a great brand of kimchi to buy.
Jongga Sliced Napa Cabbage Kimchi is sold at most Walmarts, Costcos, and Amazon. I never leave Costco without at least one of their giant tubs of kimchi.
Buy Online: Amazon
Lucky Foods Seoul Kimchi
How does it taste?
Lucky Foods Seoul kimchi is good kimchi with a little spiciness and tang, but not the best. Its flavor profile is far from any authentic kimchi I have tried in the past. However, I still buy it on occasion, when I can’t find any other options. So don’t count it out. Give it a try.
One of the most widely available brands of kimchi, Lucky Foods Seoul carries many different kimchi varieties, two of which are certified vegan. Lucky Foods Seoul can be found in many stores, including Target, Walmart, Kroger chains, Food 4 Less, and Sprouts.
Buy Online: Amazon
Simple Truth Korean Style Kimchi
How does it taste?
Simple Truth makes really good kimchi. It tastes fresh while still keeping the fizzy effervescence experience of fermented food. The ingredients include Napa Cabbage, Green Onion, Seaweed, Chili Pepper, Sea Salt, Sesame Seeds, Garlic, and Ginger.
Buy Online: Fred Meyer and other Kroger Grocery Stores
Olive My Pickle Kimchi
Olive My Pickle makes exceptional fermented foods, and their three choices of kimchi are right up there with the best. This company does not disappoint.
The kimchi bundle is available on Amazon, or you can order individual packages of either the Classic Kimchi, Cucumber Kimchi, or Diakon Radish Kimchi directly from the company.
Buy Online: Amazon
Wise Goat Organics
How does it taste?
Their kimchi is totally delicious and richly flavorful with just the right spice. If you love to buy American-made and organic, this is your kimchi.
Wise Goat Organics Raw Vegan Kimchi is made in California. They boost that all of their fermented products are produced in handcrafted micro-batches in glass vessels with locally sourced ingredients and have no added sugars. They have a wide variety of probiotic-rich foods, all organic, Raw, and Live Active Cultures.
Wise Goat Organics has a delicious array of probiotic foods, including purple cabbage sauerkraut, jalapeno sauerkraut, beet kvass, golden kvass, and a raw probiotic gut tonic.
Buy Online: Amazon
Madge’s Kimchi
How does it taste?
Madge’s spicy kimchi is absolutely delicious and spicy too. So many brands claim to be ‘spicy’ and fall short. Not Madge’s, it tastes authentic, fresh, crunchy, and spicy!
Madge’s vegan kimchi is packed with umami flavor without any fish products. They use shitake mushrooms and kelp instead. Madge’s makes a spicy and mild kimchi option.
Buy Online: Amazon
Sinto Gourmet
Sinto Gourmet makes four different types of kimchi:
Plenty Roots
Mu Radish
Mild White
Spicy Red
How does it taste?
The Mild White Kimchi is well mild, clean, refreshing flavorful. Great for those who do not like the spicy red flavor that kimchi is commonly known for.
The Spicy Red Korean ‘Mu’ Radish kimchi is one of the most popular Kimchis in Korea. Known as “Kkakdugi” in Korean, it has a unique, crunchy texture and invigorating flavor.
The company is based in San Francisco. They specialize in natural, locally-sourced ingredients to make their kimchi taste authentic.
Buy Online: Amazon
What to Avoid When Buying Kimchi
Avoid any dried foods such as kimchi-flavored noodle soups or ramens, canned kimchi, Kimchi powder seasoning, Kimchi mayo, and Kimchi hot sauce.
These types of kimchi may taste good and are definitely foods you can eat. However, they are pasteurized foods and do not have the gut-healthy good bacteria you are looking for.
How is Kimchi made?
Kimchi is made by brining vegetables with a salt concentration between 2-5%. The salt brine draws out the water from the vegetables. It ferments it with the wild cultures naturally present in the vegetables.
The Benefits Of Probiotics For Your Whole Body
Kimchi is a staple in Korean cuisine that’s both flavorful and nutritious. It’s linked to many health benefits, from boosting your gut microbiome to increasing your intake of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. (1)
Probiotics in fermented foods are credited with diversifying the good bacteria in your gut, which improves the health of your digestive system. This is due to lactic acid bacteria developed during the fermentation process.
Fermented kimchi supports a healthy immune system, heart health, and brain health. It may reduce inflammation and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
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Furthermore, kimchi has been proven to have antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic,anti-fungal, and anti-atherosclerotic activity. (2)
Because kimchi is full of veggies, it’s exceptionally high in provitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and manganese. Research even suggested that the fermentation process makes it easier for your body to absorb the vitamins and minerals found in kimchi.
Kimchi is Full of Fiber
Kimchi contains veggies which we all know are a great source of fiber. Fiber helps promote healthy bowel movements and supports friendly bacteria in your gut. How much fiber you get per serving all depends on the ingredients in the kimchi.
10 Best Kimchi Brands Loaded with Gut-Healthy Benefits
Kimchi is easily Korea’s favorite dish, and it is experiencing a considerable rise in popularity in America too.
This article taught us how to pick the best kimchi brands for gut health. But we also learned about the health benefits of kimchi.
We talked about what to look for when choosing a brand of kimchi, read the ingredients list, keywords on the label, and where it is located in the grocery store.
Remember, there are many brands of kimchi that can give you the beneficial bacteria you are looking for. But you must stay vigilant to avoid the types of kimchi that do not have all the benefits of fermented foods.
An extra tip for everyone is not to use too much kimchi. It’s meant for small amounts that bring out massive flavors.
You can purchase pre-made kimchi or try making your own homemade kimchi if you feel adventurous.
Taking a probiotic supplement can benefit our health, but you can also get probiotics by eating natural, whole foods. Fermented foods are a great source of probiotics because they are made with live and active cultures and various strains of probiotics.
Eating a variety of different fermented foods is the most natural way to add probiotics to your diet.
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