Radish Kimchi Benefits

Kimchi is notorious for having tons of health benefits. However, some people might not know that different types of kimchi offer differing health benefits! Once you learn of the different types of kimchi, you may find yourself asking, what are the benefits of radish kimchi?

Kimchi in general is excellent for your gut health as it can increase the levels of good bacteria there. It boasts a healthy serving of Vitamin A and Vitamin C as well as several other antioxidants that make kimchi both a tasty and healthy snack.

Read on to learn more about the benefits of radish kimchi. In this article, you’ll learn what it is, why it’s so good, and whether or not you should be eating it every day.

What Is Radish Kimchi?

Radish kimchi is a type of white or daikon radish that has been prepared with the same spices and other ingredients as other, more well-known varieties, such as cabbage or cucumber kimchi.

Radish kimchi offers several health benefits, such as:

• Antioxidant boosts
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Positive gut health

Since this type of kimchi is made with radishes, you’ll typically find that it’s more commonly eaten at the end of summer or the beginning of fall. That is when Korean radishes are in season.

If you attempt to make radish kimchi with out of season radishes, you may find that the flavor is underwhelming. While a big part of kimchi is the spices, the radishes do have their own flavor!

How Do You Make Radish Kimchi?

To make radish kimchi, you can grab your favorite kimchi recipe, subbing out the other vegetable for the radishes. If you’ve never made kimchi before, try to get help from someone who has: kimchi of any type is hard to master!

When it comes to the preparation of the radishes themselves, you can use any type of white radish, including:

• Daikon
• White icicle
• White hailstone

For the most authentic kimchi experience, Korean “Mu” daikon is recommended.

Once you have your radish picked out, you should begin by cutting it into small cubes. The size of the actual cubes depends on your preference, but make sure they are evenly cut.

Once you’ve cut them, add in all of the ingredients from your recipe, put in a smell-proof jar, and leave it to ferment. Fermentation is vital: that is where a lot of the health benefits, especially the gut health benefits, come from.

Why Is Radish Kimchi So Good for You?

Radish kimchi is good for you for two reasons: the radish and the kimchi.

Radish kimchi is usually made with daikon radish. This variety is considered to be one of the most nutritionally dense, as it offers a nice dose of antioxidants, Vitamin C, and anthocyanins (a natural anti-inflammatory). 

They are also low-calorie, making them a perfect choice for someone who might be worried about that.

Are All Types of Kimchi Good for You?

The second part of radish kimchi’s benefits come from the actual kimchi.

Kimchi is fermented for anywhere from a week to several months, which allows those good-for-your-gut bacteria to build. In addition, it is good for your sinuses, and many say it has benefits for the hair, skin, and nails. 

Kimchi, no matter the vegetable, will offer you some health benefits! The fabulous thing about kimchi is just that: you have security in knowing you’ll get some good health points either way, so you can sort of pick which vegetable you’d like to use depending on either taste or additional benefits.

Some other popular kimchi options include:

• Napa cabbage
• Cucumber
• Mustard leaf

All of these will have distinctly different flavors and textures. Play around and see what you like best!

Is it Okay to Eat Kimchi Every Day?

Eating kimchi every day is fine.

It is actually recommended to eat at least a small serving daily: if you only eat it occasionally, you won’t have any benefits long-term. It would be like doing a face mask once a year and saying that you don’t see any change in your skin! You should eat around 100g of kimchi daily. 

You can squeeze it in in several ways:

• Eating it plain
• With it white rice
• Mixing it into fried rice
• Turning it into a stew

The only issue you might encounter, besides getting a bit sick of it after a while, could be the spice. If you make your kimchi super spicy, you could have issues with diarrhea. When you first start eating kimchi, you might notice that you’re a bit bloated or gassy: don’t worry, that is normal! Symptoms should reduce in a few days.

Conclusion

Radish kimchi has so many benefits. Even if you don’t particularly love the flavor, it’s worth eating a little bit every day just to get those health benefits! Kimchi can lower cholesterol, add antioxidants, and keep your gut healthy and happy.