Where does the savor of kimchi come from?
The fiber of vegetables softens when they are pickled with
salt. This makes it to feel better and
fresher to chew than when chewed raw. Salt causes osmosis when it
contacts with the vegetables. The process is benefitable in a double way:
the growth of most of the harmful microorganisms is held in check, and
that of the "good" ones is accelerated. The result products include
amino- and lactic acid, which give tastes that are different from those of
fresh vegetable.
Osmosis is accompanied with the loss of some of the nutrient. While
vegetables are soaked in salted water, various water-soluble nutritious
elements (together with their flavors) escape through the softened
tissues. To minimize the loss, they are soaked in rather concentrated salt
water for a relatively short time, with the vegetables completely
immersed below the water level.
Then the vegetables are rinsed clean. When the mixture of condiments
and other ingredients are added to the wilted vegetables, the flavors of
the assorted materials infiltrate through the softened fibers of the
vegetables - this is where the unforgettable taste comes from.
The savory flavors of kimchi which make one to dribble come
especially from the fermenting process of protein and carbohydrate in
ingredients like fish juice,
boiled meat sauce and grains. Koreans usually don't like the taste of
artificial sweetener. They prefer the natural flavors which only come
from the vegetables and seasoning without the help of artificial
sweetener.
Also created by the fermenting process are lactic- (sour) and carbonic
(cool) acids. The two add up to the complex savor of refreshing kimchi
with the rest of the flavors.
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