Ingredients story: What would have happened to kimchi without cabbage?

Cabbage, a native of China, is the main ingredient of kimchi and has been a vital source of nutrition for Koreans since the 17th century when it started to be grown on the Korean peninsula. Although cabbage is often overlooked compared to other members of the Brassicaceae family, it actually has many health benefits that you may not be aware of.

Cabbage kimchi, which goes well with rice, the staple food of Koreans, reached its peak of popularity as rice consumption increased. This wonderful pairing is still relevant today. However, since cabbage kimchi is a side dish that enhances the taste of rice, it is likely that if people eat less rice, they will also want less cabbage kimchi.

I felt a pang of sadness when I read the poem "The Heart of the Cabbage" by poet Ra Hee-duk (羅喜德) in a middle school textbook.

"The words I never forgot as I walked along the furrows in the summer / I hope you'll be happy. / I hope you'll have a good sleep. / When I tied up the cabbage in late autumn / But it grew strong and I was quite full."

(“여름내 밭둑 지나며 잊지 않았던 말 / 나는 너희로 하여 기쁠 것 같아. / 잘 자라 기쁠 것 같아. / 늦가을 배추포기 묶어주며 보니 / 그래도 튼실하게 자라 속이 꽤 찼다.")

Cabbage is a familiar vegetable to Koreans and an important food, so much so that there is a poet who gave it a personality with his poetic imagination.

Cruciferous leafy vegetables

Cabbage is one of the top three vegetables that Koreans love to eat, along with radishes and peppers. Although it originated in China, there is also a unique variety called "Korean cabbage". Cabbage is divided into three main types according to its shape, or how tightly its leaves are packed. There is the whole cabbage, which is round and compact like a cannonball, the half-shaped cabbage, which has only the base part, and the unformed cabbage, which has no clumps at all.

Among these three, they mainly grow and eat tubular cabbage and semi-tubular cabbage. These two varieties have the advantage of being fast-growing, high-yielding, easy to store, and easy to handle. It may be surprising to the general public, but Korean cabbage is further classified into 'Seoul cabbage' and 'Kaesong cabbage'. Seoul cabbage is short and light-colored, while Kaesong cabbage is relatively tall and dark-colored.

Cabbage, a leafy vegetable, belongs to the cruciferous family according to its plant classification. Cruciferous vegetables include radish, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, among which cabbage and broccoli, which are common in Western cuisine, have already gained a reputation as wellness foods. However, cabbage and radish have relatively few studies on their benefits, so they're still not appreciated as much as other cruciferous vegetables.

Tasty and healthy autumn cabbage

Cabbage is a low-calorie food that is much better for you than you might think. Raw cabbage has only 12 kcal per 100g, which is very low compared to green or red cabbage (i.e., half the amount). Boiled or salted cabbage has only 14 kcal, so it is not a burden at all. Cabbage has 11 mg of sodium, which is lower than green cabbage, which has 18 mg. Cabbage also has 263 IU of vitamin A, which strengthens the body's resistance, which is higher than green cabbage, which has 98 IU.

Cabbage is rich in dietary fiber, which helps prevent constipation and obesity, but it is softer than other vegetables and has the feature of shrinking a lot when heated. In particular, it is notable for its rare fermentation in the intestines and the release of gases.

When we talk about the benefits of cabbage, the most highlighted part is that it has been proven to have anti-cancer properties. A U.S. study by Harvard Medical School researchers looked at the eating habits of more than 47,000 healthcare workers who participated in a follow-up study from 1986 to 1996. They found that "eating more cabbage and broccoli lowers the risk of bladder cancer." Other studies also show that Chinese cabbage has anti-cancer effects. For example, the Korea Food Research Institute discovered that liver cancer shrank by about half in mice that ate cabbage and radish, compared to mice that ate regular food.

Cabbage tastes great in late autumn, as a Korean proverb says, "Autumn cabbage is eaten with the door locked" ("가을 배추는 문 걸어 잠그고 먹는다"). It's also easy to digest because it contains 95.6% water. That is why Chinese cabbage goes well with meat.

Staple food of old Koreans in winter

Today's young housewives who buy kimchi may not know how to choose good cabbage, unlike older housewives who are good at housekeeping. Good quality Chinese cabbage is full and heavy, with thin and soft leaves and a tight base. If the outer leaves have black spots, they are likely to be inside as well.

In the past, when cabbage wasn't available all year round like now, it was harvested in autumn for the kimchi-making season. This is because the cabbage that grows in the late autumn frost is the most delicious. After that, when the temperature drops more, the leaves become hard and lose their flavor.

Koreans make soup with cabbage, season it, and eat it with radish. In autumn or winter, when cabbage is in season, they also make a dish with wheat flour dough and cabbage. It's especially popular in the Gyeongsang-do region. 

But the main use of cabbage is kimchi. Homemade kimchi has been known as a health food since ancient times. In winter, when fresh vegetables are scarce, kimchi is almost the only source of essential nutrients like vitamin C. It was very important for the poor common people who had trouble getting other food.

The kimchi recipe authentic was also such an important dish for Koreans that they developed a unique kimchi recipe traditional culture called 'kimjang'. Kimjang is a long-standing tradition of making a lot of kimchi at once to last for a long time before and after winter. Since making it is hard work, the housewives in the neighborhood would help each other out during the kimjang season. 

Getting high-quality cabbage was the main task of the housewives for the kimchi season. The ingredients and proportions of homemade kimchi vary widely by region and household, and so does the taste. Kimjang also involves adding shrimp sauce, raw oysters, and fresh fish and letting it ferment slowly, making it more nutritious.

It is said that Chinese cabbage cultivation as it is today started in Korea in the 17th century. It is believed that kimchi was first made in the 18th century, but it was not until the 18th century that red and spicy cabbage kimchi with red pepper flakes appeared as it is today. This is because chili peppers came to this land later than Chinese cabbage. Before the 18th century, kimchi was made only with salt water.

The 18th century, when cabbage kimchi that Koreans eat today appeared, was a time of economic prosperity in Joseon. As rice consumption increased, cabbage kimchi became more popular. This fantastic combination is still valid in recent surveys.

Cabbage kimchi, which Koreans still eat today, emerged in the 18th century, a time of economic prosperity in Joseon. As rice, the main food, became more available, cabbage kimchi, which goes well with rice, also became more popular. This great combination is still relevant today, according to recent surveys. 

A 2016 study by a team from the Department of Food and Nutrition at Dankook University, published in the Journal of Nutrition and Health, found that rice and cabbage kimchi were the top two foods that Koreans ate more than 3 times a day. However, as Western foods influence the diet, meat consumption is rising, while rice consumption is falling. Since cabbage kimchi is a dish made to enhance the taste of rice, less rice consumption will likely also mean less demand for this kimchi recipe authentic.

Chinese cabbage can also be cooked in soup or lightly salted and wrapped with various ingredients. Bossam, which is sliced pork and raw oysters wrapped in soft cabbage leaves, is one of the most favored dishes among Koreans nowadays.

Cabbage has also been gaining attention as a food that can prevent cancer and fractures in recent years.

Cabbage kimchi is an essential dish for Korean rice, noodles, etc.

Cabbage loved by Westerners

In the West, cabbage is regarded as similar to Korean cabbage. Cabbage is nicknamed the "Poor Man's Doctor" and is considered one of the three foods that can make you live longer, along with olives and yogurt. This name seems to come from its low cost. 

Cabbage was enjoyed by the Greek philosopher Diogenes, according to history. Diogenes, who is famous for challenging Alexander the Great, lived to be 90 years old in dirty conditions, thanks to cabbage. Cabbage, like Chinese cabbage, is a food that is low in calories, but high in calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. It has only 24 kcal per 100 grams, so it is also preferred by people who want to lose weight.

One interesting thing is that cabbage is highly valued in the medical field because of vitamin U. In 1949, researchers at Stanford University in the US announced that "cabbage juice can cure stomach ulcers." They said that if you drink cabbage juice for about a week, ulcers will heal quickly, and the substance that makes this possible is vitamin U. Vitamin U was later identified as glutamine, a kind of amino acid. Glutamine, the main component of artificial flavors, helps the cells in the digestive tract to regenerate. Cabbage has also been drawing expectations as a food that can prevent cancer and fractures in recent years.

(Source / Park Tae-kyun 朴泰均 Research Professor, Department of Food Bioscience and Technology, Korea University)