Kehoe's Kitchen red kimchi review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Kehoe's Kitchen red kimchi. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this high quality kimchi.
For this review we have tested the red kimchi version. As you can see on their website, they make a wide range of kimchi.
You can find this kimchi in Woolworths supermarkets and other food stores in Australia.
What is kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional food product from Korea. It is made by fermenting cabbage and other vegetables. It’s red colour comes from the red chilli powder (ie gochugaru) used, however it is not overly spicy, rather it has a deep and warming heat. It is a living product full of probiotics (ie live beneficial microbes) and prebiotics such as cabbage, garlic and spring onion which feed the good microbes in your gut.
Ingredients of Kehoe's Kitchen red kimchi
This kimchi has fairly traditional ingredients, with some exceptions. Most notably, it is vegan therefore it doesn’t contain fish sauce or shrimp.
It also doesn’t include any thickeners (such as rice powder), flavour enhancers or preservatives which are sometimes found in commercial kimchi.
It does include apple powder, which isn’t a traditional ingredient, presumably for sweetness.
The specific ingredients are: Wombok (aka Napa cabbage), daikon, garlic, gochugaru (chilli), spring onion, sea salt, ginger and apple powder.
So as you can see, it’s all natural and there’s nothing questionable in the ingredients.
Benefits of Kehoe's Kitchen red kimchi
This kimchi comes with many health benefits, especially related to its probiotic and prebiotic content.
Probiotics
One of the main benefits of this kimchi is the probiotics it contains. Because it is ‘wild fermented’ (which means it is fermented using the microbes already present on the cabbage, other ingredients and fermentation equipment) we don’t know exactly what strains are present and the quantity of them.
However this wild fermentation process (rather than inoculating the kimchi with specific bacterial strains as you might in commercial kefir or yoghurt) means there should be a huge diversity of microbes in this kimchi.
And the fizzing when you open the jar indicates a very healthy fermentation!
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially things probiotics produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Prebiotics
Kimchi is fantastic for gut health because it contains prebiotics as well as probiotics. Prebiotics are fibre which feed the good bacteria in your gut and help them multiply. The wombok, daikon, garlic and spring onion are all prebiotic vegetables.
So not only are you getting the beneficial microbes, you are also getting the best food to feed them!
Read more about the benefits of prebiotics.
Garlic
This kimchi contains garlic which has a range of health benefits including supporting immune function as well as reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. It is also a good source of antioxidants as well as various vitamins and minerals such as manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium.
Read more about the benefits of garlic.
Ginger
Ginger has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It can also contribute to digestive health, weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels.
Read more about the benefits of ginger.
Chilli powder
The gochugaru (ie Korean chilli powder) contains capsaicin which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that protect cells from damage and reduce inflammation.
Capsaicin is also high in vitamins A and C which support immune function. It also aids digestion by increasing the secretion of gastric juices.
Read more about the benefits of capsaicin.
Vegetables
This kimchi is a good source of vegetables containing wombok, daikon and spring onions.
Apart from being high in fibre, these provide a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins C and K, and enzymes beneficial for digestion.
Flavour
The first thing I noticed when I opened the jar (apart from the fizzing!), was that there was liquid up to the top of the jar filling the gaps in between the ingredients. This is a very good sign because that rich flavourful liquid coats all the cabbage in the jar. In contrast, I’ve previously had some poor quality kimchi which was dry and quite flavourless.
The aroma is truly mouth-watering and incredibly complex! The chilli, ginger, garlic and onion come through strongly creating a very tempting concoction of aromas.
The taste is rich in garlic, ginger and a deep chilli warmth. It is also quite sour and salty. And the cabbage gives a nice textural crunch.
Also, it’s impressive they get so much umami flavour in this kimchi without the use of fish sauce or shrimp.
Overall, the taste is absolutely delicious and incredibly moreish. There just so much going on and so many layers of flavour! As I’ve done this review, I’ve eaten an ungodly amount of the jar :)
Uses
This kimchi is great as a side dish to many meals and excellent with any form of breakfast eggs. It would also be fantastic in a kimchi cheese toastie. Sometimes as an afternoon snack I’ve just been eating it straight from the jar.
Otherwise it could go on burgers, wraps, Mexican food, soups, salads and much more.
Cost of Kehoe's Kitchen red kimchi
You can buy a 410g jar in Woolworths for $13 - which obviously prices it like the premium product it is.
You can also buy it from their website for slightly cheaper.
Summary
5 stars out of 5.
A high quality, clean ingredient, fairly traditional and absolutely delicious kimchi. It’s hard to fault it in any way.
Pros
fantastic flavour
rich in probiotics
high in prebiotic fibres
good source of vitamins and minerals
various health benefits from the ginger, garlic and chilli
suitable for vegans
Cons
premium price tag
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut enthusiast and passionate kombucha maker!
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