Homemade Kimchi Inspired Spicy Sauerkraut Recipe • Cultured Guru (2024)

What does kimchi taste like? It’s spicy, umami, sour, and absolutely delicious! Learn how to make kimchi sauerkraut, a spicy sauerkraut recipe with delicious kimchi flavor.

What is Kimchi

Kimchi is a spicy mix of fermented cabbage and other ingredients. However, kimchi is also culturally significant.

What kimchi means to Korea is one of the most beautiful stories of food I’ve ever had the pleasure of learning. For Koreans, Kimchi symbolizes national pride, love, family, and hope for the future.

So what is kimchi made of? It depends on who is making it and where you are trying it! In Korea, families use local and seasonal ingredients in their kimchi recipes; that is why there are over 200 types of kimchi, each unique.

How to Make Kimchi

There are many ways to make kimchi with many different ingredients and methods.

The most well-known type of kimchi is Baechu Korean kimchi. You make it by soaking napa cabbage in a salty brine for 12 hours, then rinsing it and rubbing it with starchy paste.

Baechu kimchi includes salt fermented shrimp, fish sauce, gochugaru, sugar, ginger, garlic, radish, carrot, and scallions. Then it is packed into a fermentation crock and can be enjoyed after three days of fermentation at cool temperatures.

Some kimchi is ready to eat quickly because, in Korea, many people like it effervescent. Also, the salt fermented shrimp (Saeujeot) and fish sauce serve as vital salting agents, and Saeujeot introduces microbes to the kimchi fermentation process.

My Kimchi Inspired Spicy Sauerkraut Recipe

In this blog, you will learn how I make my original kimchi recipe, similar to how I make sauerkraut, but with added kimchi-inspired ingredients.

Thus, I call it kimchi-inspired spicy sauerkraut, or “kimchi sauerkraut”. I like that I have my original kimchi recipe, made with ingredients I can grow in my region and easily source. It’s a perfect addition to the over 200 unique kinds of kimchi worldwide.

Here is the equipment you will need to make it:

• 32-ounce Wide Mouth Mason Jar
• Fermentation Weight
• Standard Metal Mason Jar Lid (this can rust in the presence of salt)
• OR Rust-Free Plastic Lid
• or you can use a Weck Jar (without the gasket; only use the clips to secure the lid)
• Sea Salt
• Scale
• Mixing Bowl

Kimchi vs. Sauerkraut

While kimchi and sauerkraut are fermented cabbage, they originate from different regions. Kimchi is from Korea, and sauerkraut originates from China. I know you thought sauerkraut was German.

While it was popularized in Germany in the 1800s, and its name is German, plain fermented cabbage is originally from china.

Historians say that 2000 years ago, enslaved people building the Great Wall of China began fermenting shredded cabbage in rice wine to preserve it so they would have a food source during the non-growing season.

Both kimchi and sauerkraut are probiotic-rich, healthy fermented foods. Kimchi has a deeper umami flavor because it incorporates more ingredients, while sauerkraut is more light and fresh.

Kimchi may be slightly more nutritious due to more bioavailable vitamins and minerals from the variety of ingredients used to make it.

What Does Kimchi Taste Like?

Kimchi tastes delicious, and I describe it as sour, salty, spicy, and umami (earthy, savory flavors).

The flavor of kimchi varies, just as kimchi recipes do. Many variables impact kimchi flavor, like the amounts of salt used, length of fermentation, and vegetables used.

Spicy Sauerkraut flavor

This sauerkraut tastes very similar to kimchi, but milder. People often tell me they are afraid to try kimchi. Then, when they try my spicy sauerkraut with kimchi spices, they can’t get enough of it.

How Long Does Kimchi Last

Everyone always wonders, can kimchi go bad? I’ve never had kimchi go bad, but I think it is because Jon and I eat it so fast. Between the two of us, we eat a gallon in under two months.

Kimchi can be stored in the fridge for a year, and I suggest eating it within six months for full probiotic benefits.

Spicy Sauerkraut Kimchi Spice Blend

This recipe calls for my kimchi spice blend. I blend these spices in bulk and keep them in an airtight jar so I can easily use the kimchi spice whenever I want to start a new batch.

This is a dry spice blend, and I use organic bulk spices from Starwest Botanicals.

Here is how I make it:

1. You will need 455 grams gochugaru chili flakes, 300 grams minced garlic, 100 grams ginger powder, and 75 grams kelp granules.
2. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl until evenly combined.
3. Store in an airtight container, such as a mason jar or weck jar.

Recipes to Try

• The Best Kimchi Bloody Mary Perfect For Hangovers
• Oven-Baked Marinated Chicken Wings with Kimchi and Miso Sauce
• Fresh Vegan Summer Rolls with Creamy Kimchi Sauce

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