What is Kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made of napa cabbage and radish, seasoned with garlic, ginger, and chili. It is made by an anaerobic fermentation process. This process helps to grow lactic acid bacteria.
What is Achar?
Achar is a traditional Indian food that contains raw mango or raw vegetables, lemon, and chili, mixed in mustard oil or sesame oil with heavy salt and an intense blend of spices like fenugreek and mustard seeds.
Kimchi and Achar are both traditional dishes from Korea and India, but they are not the same. Their ingredients and preparation process are totally different.
Difference between Kimchi and Achar:
- Kimchi is prepared by fermentation using high-concentration salt water, which helps to maintain good lactic acid bacteria and prevents the growth of bad bacteria. It is placed in the dark to prevent the good bacteria from dying.
Achar prevents bad microbial growth by using heavy oil and salt. It’s placed in the sun to remove excess moisture to prevent spoilage, to activate natural fermentation, and to deepen spice flavors.
- Achar contains oils, but Kimchi doesn’t contain them.
Which is healthier: Kimchi or Achar?
Kimchi promotes gut health. It is rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
Commercial Achar may contain high salt and oil, and may not contain live bacteria, which is harmful to health. But traditional homemade Achar with less salt and oil, which is naturally fermented under the sun, can give you gut health, antioxidant and vitamin benefits too.
So, you can enjoy the same benefits with different flavours as per your preference. These dishes are a small part of your diet. You can add them to a nutritionally balanced diet in moderate quantities. Excessive amounts may create distress in your gut.
So, what do you choose with your meal, Kimchi or Achar?
MBH/PS
