Kimchi vs Kombucha: What Is The Difference?

on October 22, 2022

Kimchi and Kombucha are 2 things that have recently gained popularity quite a lot with both foods being consumed in increasing volumes as they have both become popular healthy options. However, if you are unfamiliar with either one of these dishes you may be wondering what they are and what the difference is between them.

Both kimchi and kombucha are fermented foods that originated in Southeast Asia. Kombucha is a drink that is made from a culture of bacteria and yeast combined with juice spices fruit and other flavorings where as Kimchi is a side dish used in Korean foods which is made from fermented vegetables which often include Napa cabbage and Korean radishes, it will contain a range of seasonings which can include chilli powder, onions, and garlic.

Kimchi is also used in a variety of soups and stews and has become a staple of the Korean diet with there being hundreds of different types of kimchi recipes available.

About Kimchi

Kimchi is a dish that has been around for more than 1000 years and originated in Korea. Kimchi is a dish that is traditionally made during the winter by fermenting vegetables which has been done by burying the food in the ground in ceramic pots.

The dish itself was originally not a spicy dish with early records of the production of kimchi not mentioning the use of garlic or chilli peppers which were introduced into Korea in the early 1600s. However, it wasn’t until the 1800s that the use of Chilli peppers in kimchi started to become widespread and is now closely associated with the dish along with Napa cabbage which also was a late introduction into Korea.

The dish itself has a relatively complex flavor with each type of kimchi having a different taste. However, generally, kimchi is slightly salty because it usually has been pickled in a brine for at least 30 minutes and is also a little bit spicy in most cases.

About Kombucha

Kombucha is a drink that is believed to have originated in China and has been used there as a traditional drink for hundreds of years. It is a drink that contains sugar, tea, and sometimes a range of different juices and spices that are fermented using a culture of bacteria and yeast referred to as a scoby. The composition of the scoby varies significantly.

The fermentation process produces a small amount of alcohol in much the same way as what occurs when sauerkraut or kimchi are prepared. During this process, scoby will form a film on the top of the liquid which can be collected and used to ferment additional batches of the beverage.

There are a number of health claims associated with Kombucha, though according to web.md there is little evidence to support the fact that these claims are actually true. It is said to boost your immune system, reduce weight, aid in the reduction of high blood pressure, and reduce the chances of cancer.

However, there are also some risks associated with the production of Kombucha as the fermentation process can go wrong at times and there have been several cases of illness that have occurred.

How To Make Kombucha

Kombucha is a pretty straightforward mixture to make as there are only five major ingredients which are

• Water

• Tea

• Sugar

• A scoby

• Starter liquid

The main specialized ingredient is the scoby which you can obtain by purchasing it online alternatively if you had no somebody that is currently making kombucha at home they will usually have one lying around that they can give you to start your first batch.

To start the process off boil the water which will remove any chlorine present as it has a negative effect on the microbes within the scoby. Once it is boiled it then needs to be returned to room temperature. For a small batch, you typically need 1 L.

In terms of the tea that you use for your kombucha this can be any type of tea that you choose from black tea to green tea or even herbal teas. As to the strength, the drink is relatively weak and a single bag of tea is sufficient to provide the flavor for 1 litre of water.

The sugar used in kombucha has two important roles: the first is to ensure that it flavors the drink to your desired taste, however, a more important aspect of adding it is that it is used by the microorganisms in the scoby as food to fuel the fermentation process. Typically, you need to have 50 to 100 g of sugar per litre and it generally can be any type of sugar such as caster sugar, raw sugar, or brown sugar, however, most people just used the standard refined white sugar.

The size of the scoby that is used in the drink is not absolutely critical as the bacteria and microorganisms multiply during the fermentation. However, the key thing in maintaining the scoby is to ensure that it is not allowed to dry out or get too cold so it should not be stored in the fridge.

Once the fermentation process is complete the scoby will float to the surface and can be used in the next batch. Ideally, you should be keeping around 10% of each batch for this purpose.

Method For Making Kombucha

Bring a quarter of the total water in a saucepan to a boil and then turn it off before adding the teabags and the sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve the sugar for 5-10 minutes to brew removing the teabags from the solution

Add the remaining water and sugar solution to a fermentation jar. This will make sure that the solution is not hot, the ideal temperature is 26 to 27°C.
Add the scoby to the fermentation jar and cover the top of the jar with a cloth or a paper towel to prevent contaminates from getting in such as dust. The jar should not be sealed as carbon dioxide is produced in the process.
Leave the solution to ferment for approximately 7 days at room temperature.

After this stage, it should be ready to start a “secondary fermentation” which occurs within the bottle and will carbonate the drink. This will happen if you decant the drink into a sealed bottle.