Is Kimchi Gluten Less?

[fakename]

I'm pretty sure it is but just double-checking...

[glutenfreesavvy]

I'm pretty sure it is but just double-checking...

Traditionally, some Koreans do use a flour base with the chili. However, I have bought several brands (in the refrigerated section, usually by the produce) that were fine. Kimchi is also super easy to make, so I prefer to make it homemade. Then, I know exactly what's in it & can eat as much as we want. It can get expensive when hubby, our children & I can eat several jarfuls in a sitting. We love it!!

[RideAllWays]

Kimchi like the noodle bowls? I highly doubt it..unless they are rice noodles.

[kareng]

I think you have to read the ingredients. From what I understand from Koreans, it's depends on what your mom made. Cabbage and other veggies, & peppers. Fermented pickled. I have had homemade a few times ( told it's Korean coleslaw or saurkraut). Too spicy for me. If it's pre packed, just read the ingredients.

[BethJ]

I eat kimchee almost every day and never had a problem. I buy King's Kimchee and it even has "GLUTEN FREE" on the label under the ingredients. I'm sure it's an acquired taste but I love the stuff.

[Emilushka]

Kimchi like the noodle bowls? I highly doubt it..unless they are rice noodles.

Kimchi is pickled cabbage.

[kenlove]

There are hundreds of types of kimchee made from many many types of things, not only cabbage. Some have soy sauce added to the chile, some use flour to thicken chile water into a paste. Many don't. You have to check each type carefully or do what someone suggested which is to make your own, it is pretty easy.

I'm pretty sure it is but just double-checking...

[gflooser]

ok i'm going to ask a stupid question. would the pickling be bad for our already compromised stomachs?

[Takala]

Not as long as it was gluten free.

If (safe) vinegar was bad for us I would have been a goner years ago. Some of these pickled things like saurkraut and olives and cabbage are high in natural probiotics. You stomach is already full of acid, that's how it starts breaking down the food for digestion.

[Emilushka]

Traditionally, some Koreans do use a flour base with the chili. However, I have bought several brands (in the refrigerated section, usually by the produce) that were fine. Kimchi is also super easy to make, so I prefer to make it homemade. Then, I know exactly what's in it & can eat as much as we want. It can get expensive when hubby, our children & I can eat several jarfuls in a sitting. We love it!!

Recipe, please!

[BethJ]

ok i'm going to ask a stupid question. would the pickling be bad for our already compromised stomachs?

I've read where fermented foods are good for us. Humans all over the world have been eating them for as long as humans have been preserving their food - sauerkraut, kimchee, yogurt, kefir, cheese, pickles - even vinegar and wine!

[Emilushka]

I've read where fermented foods are good for us. Humans all over the world have been eating them for as long as humans have been preserving their food - sauerkraut, kimchee, yogurt, kefir, cheese, pickles - even vinegar and wine!

Some of those are sort of the original probiotics.

[glutenfreesavvy]

ok i'm going to ask a stupid question. would the pickling be bad for our already compromised stomachs?

That's not a stupid question...it's a great one, actually! If you eat traditional kimchi, naturally fermented, then it's excellent for our compromised guts. The fermentation process naturally makes it not only very easy to digest, but adds a lot of healthy bacteria to our gut - a lot like yogurts & other pro-biotic foods. If you find jarred kimchi with vinegar as an ingredient, that's not the real deal & I wouldn't eat it. Kimchi only uses spices, salt & usually a bit of fish that's mixed with the various cabbages, carrots, cucumber & other veggies. There's lots of variations & every Korean family has their own special recipe, so it seems. Then, the mixture is set aside at a cool room temp for a few days before transferred to the fridge.

It's so yummy...in fact, I have the ingredients waiting in the fridge to put together a new batch...

Faydra

[glutenfreesavvy]

Recipe, please!

Hi Emilushka!

I'm sorry I didn't see your post sooner.

I've gotten to the point where I just put in a little of this & that in my kimchi... Honestly, it's hard to get it wrong. If you google maangchi kimchi-kaktugi, you'll be able to see her recipes. She's Korean & teaches Korean cooking very well, with videos. I've noticed some of her recipes include wheat flour & others call for sweet rice flour. Personally, I don't use flour in the chili paste I make, as the original recipe I use didn't call for it. Some of her recipes include oysters in the mix. I use sardines. It sounds icky if you've never eaten it, but it really is a yummy, healthy traditional food.

I always try to make at least 2 gallons worth a time, but we still eat it up super fast. So, ours never ages very long. We prefer the taste after it sits for at least 3 days at room temp, then transfer to the fridge. My favorite kimchi is 2-3 weeks old. My grandmother's sauerkraut was naturally fermented the same way - with salt & time - only without all the chili & fish.

I'd love to hear how your kimchi turns out...

Warmly,

Faydra

[succulent-succotash]

I am Korean American, but have not made Kimchi myself. Most traditional Korean kimchi's include fish sauce. I recently realized this when my mother-in-law told me as I was about to try her daikon kimchi. After research, it is apparent that many kimchi recipes call for fish sauce (Korean aekjeot).

 

Depending on the brand of fish sauce, it may NOT be gluten free due to inclusion of wheat, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and hydrolyzed soy protein (?).

 

I am actually surprised at how many people out there think kimchi is gluten-free without considering this ingredient. I have seen Celiac bloggers online indicate that kimchi is fine for them. So, I am wondering if the amount is so little, that it's negligible to them?

 

I think kimchi is one of those gray areas. Gray areas are the toughest when you are dining out or purchasing pre-made items.

 

I've been gluten-free for about 1.5 months now and it's been really tough not being able to eat Asian food as I used to. I miss Thai & Vietnamese food the most, which always includes fish sauce.

[shadowicewolf]

I am Korean American, but have not made Kimchi myself. Most traditional Korean kimchi's include fish sauce. I recently realized this when my mother-in-law told me as I was about to try her daikon kimchi. After research, it is apparent that many kimchi recipes call for fish sauce (Korean aekjeot).

 

Depending on the brand of fish sauce, it may NOT be gluten free due to inclusion of wheat, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and hydrolyzed soy protein (?).

 

I am actually surprised at how many people out there think kimchi is gluten-free without considering this ingredient. I have seen Celiac bloggers online indicate that kimchi is fine for them. So, I am wondering if the amount is so little, that it's negligible to them?

 

I think kimchi is one of those gray areas. Gray areas are the toughest when you are dining out or purchasing pre-made items.

 

I've been gluten-free for about 1.5 months now and it's been really tough not being able to eat Asian food as I used to. I miss Thai & Vietnamese food the most, which always includes fish sauce.

This is an older thread.

 

Wheat has to be labled in the US. No exceptions.

 

vegetable protien and soy is fine.

[redsugar]

I would have sworn kimchi was gluten-free, and I just bought a jar at Publix without looking at the label first. Sure enough, got it home and it says "contains wheat" under the ingredient list.

[Scott Adams]

My guess is they must put a very small amount of soy sauce in it, but you can find many brands of prepared kimchi that does not have any wheat on the ingredients.