I have shared the recipe for fermented kimchi on the Yuanqi Weekly Report. Friends who have actually tried to make it must know that the recipe is simple beyond imagination. Before I started to do it automatically, I did have a small obstacle in my heart. I always thought that things I would sell in restaurants or markets must be not simple! After being taught by several fermentation experts, after igniting my fermentation soul, the natural fermented kimchi has hardly left my kitchen. Even in summer when the prices of high-quality vegetables are relatively high, they will not be absent, because fermented kimchi contains a rich lactic acid bacteria and is the easiest probiotic to obtain. I am not afraid of eating too much, but I am afraid of lacking it.

With experience in fermenting kimchi, it became much easier to accumulate some knowledge of process changes, and then continue to learn to make fermented drinks such as kombucha, or fruit-soaked wine. Making fermented foods is to feed lactic acid bacteria on the ingredients. They like to eat carbohydrates such as sugar and powder. We enjoy the supplement produced after eating and drinking. To put it, we are building a farm of bacteria in the kitchen. But we don’t raise cattle, sheep, chickens, but we cultivate good bacteria and get natural fruits and vegetables after being modified in texture and taste.

Lactobacillus is actually a large bacterial group, not a single species. Their foods are carbohydrates in natural foods, and while they digest carbohydrates, they will produce a lot of lactic acid and carbon dioxide. The whole process is fermentation for humans, and eating fermented food is a lactic acid bacterial product. In the early days, people knew that eating fermented food was good for the body. It can be seen that fermentation technology can be inherited for thousands of years to the present, and it is not simply to preserve too much food, but also because this is a healthy way to eat. However, it was not until the 19th century that the existence and function of lactic acid bacteria were discovered and proved, and there were now popular probiotics.

It is easy to make kimchi from high-alkali vegetables. As long as it provides a suitable environment, the yeast will automatically complete the fermentation project. When fermentation begins, the oxygen-loving bacteria are first used to suck the head, consume the oxygen in the bottle, and then the lactic acid bacteria with strong decomposition power produce carbohydrates and produce a large amount of lactic acid. In this stage known as homotypic fermentation, the acid ginger value will drop below 4, thus reducing harmful bacteria that are not resistant to acids. Next is the so-called alien fermentation process. Bacteria active in acidic environments will continue to digest the carbohydrate, and the descendants will produce organic acids, alcohols and carbon dioxide. This is also why successful kimchi has a slightly fruity aroma instead of a rotten sour taste.

This summer, the temperature is high and the fermentation speed is accelerated, and the accumulated kimchi rinse water in the kitchen is endless. The water is filled with lactic acid bacteria and bubbles, and the taste is slightly sour. Add some sugar or honey to make it feel more pampered. I used the lactic acid bubble drink recipe provided by Sifang Ranch, and added 250cc of kimchi soak and 25cc of honey and quarter lemon juice to the juice machine and stirred. In less than 30 seconds, thick foam was produced and poured into a cup, like a fresh beer that was just opened. When tasting, it is a delicious drink with a bit of sweet and sour flavor. After the typhoon season, high-quality dishes will gradually return to stability, and the cool temperature is more suitable for fermented kimchi. If you want to drink soaked water and soak in water, add less salt when making kimchi, and also use spices such as star anise, pepper, cinnamon, etc. In addition to kimchi soaking, whey produced by making buttermilk can also replace soaking and use the same formula to make lemon soaking with milky aroma. If you don’t want to be upset, you can buy the ready-made whey drinks without opening the pasture and make them in the same recipe.