ABSTRACT
The Korean peninsula is surrounded by ocean on three sides — east, west, and south — and by rugged mountains in the north. This isolation of Korea from its neighboring countries allowed the ancient Korean people to develop a unique culture and distinct ethnicity. Probably the most long lasting cultural property of the early Korean people is their language and their food habit (Fig. 1). Koreans are renowned in the world for their skills in preparation of fermented foods for more than 1500 years (Han et al. 1998, Surh et al. 2008). Thus Korean food culture was developed due to the necessity of preserving food during the long, harsh winters when the temperature dipped to –20°C. In such adverse climatic condition, foods like fish, salted beans and vegetables were preserved by the fermentation process in large clay pots for use throughout the winters (Oh et al. 2014). These fermented foods and beverages are based on the cultural preferences of different geographical areas and the heterogeneity of tradition where they are produced. In general, the fermentation is a slow decomposition process of organic substances that is induced by a group of microorganisms or enzymes that help in the conversion of carbohydrates into organic acids or alcohols (FAO 1998). The fermentation products vary according to the raw materials and preparation techniques (Surh et al. 2008) used. In many cases, the method of production of different traditional fermented foods was not known but was passed down to subsequent generations as a family tradition and technique (Swain et al. 2014). Normally, drying and salting were the most
1 School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea. 2 Research Institute of Biotechnology & Medical Converged Science, Dongguk University,
Gyeonggi-do 10326, Republic of Korea 3 Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens,
Greece. *Corresponding author: jkpatra@ynu.ac.kr
common practices employed in the old food preservation technique. The fermentation process was evolved in order to preserve different types of fruits and vegetables by organic acid and alcohols during their harvesting season for use at the time of scarcity. This process of food preservation also adds desirable flavor, texture, reduces toxicity and decreases cooking time (Rolle and Satin 2002). World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have recommended the intake of a specific dose of fruits and vegetables in the daily food to prevent chronic pathologies, such as coronary heart problems, hypertension, and the risk of strokes (Swain et al. 2014). Today’s consumer prefers fresh foods and beverages that are highly nutritional, beneficial to health and ready to consume (Endrizzi et al. 2009) due to the awareness created on maintenance of health. Lactic acid (LA) fermentation of vegetables and fruits is a common practice for maintenance and improvement of the nutritional and sensory features of food commodities (Demir et al 2006, di Cagno et al. 2013). A wide variety of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as Lactobacillus brevis, Lb. casei, Lb. fermentum, Lb. kimchii, Lb. plantarum, Lb. pentosus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Ln. fallax, Weissella confusa, W. cibaria, W. koreensis, and Pediococcus pentosaceus used in the fermentation process are isolated from various traditional naturallyfermented foods (Jung et al. 2014). Availability of specific nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, as well as the acidic nature of fruits and vegetables, provide a favorable medium for fermentation by LAB. Numerous fermented foods and beverages are consumed by the Koreans as well as many people of the world (Fig. 2). The major fermented food items, except for alcoholic beverages that are consumed nowadays in Korea, are basically divided into three categories (Surh et al. 2008). The first category is kimchi, which is most widely and popularly consumed. It is prepared from napa cabbage or the Chinese
Fig. 1: ‘Bibimbap’, a Popular Korean Food Served with Different Types of Kimchi
cabbage and/or has radish as its main ingredient, along with different kinds of vegetables (Surh et al. 2008). The fermentation process is completed within a short period of time. The second type of fermented food that is popularly consumed are the soy-based products, that include chongkukjang (quick-fermented soybean paste), doenjang (soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce) and, gochujang (hot pepper-soybean paste) (Surh et al. 2008). Traditionally, such fermented products are prepared once in a year and consumed the year round. The fermented products prepared from fish and shellfish constitute the third category. These products are used in the preparation of kimchi or consumed as they are (Surh et al. 2008). Although different types of fermented foods are consumed in Korea and other East Asian countries, like Japan and China, scientific research regarding preparation, processing and health benefits are mainly concentrated on kimchi. In the present chapter, we focus on kimchi, its mode of preparation, processing and its medicinal potential.
