By Honorary Reporter Madonna Youssef from Egypt

Photo = Korea.net

White (baek) kimchi is a great option for those who cannot eat spicy food. (Korea.net's Flickr account)

Every fall, Korean families are busy with kimjang, the traditional Korean practice and culture of preparing the country's most popular side dish and ingredient of Korean cuisine, kimchi. People produce huge quantities of kimchi to be consumed over the cold winter.

But what if someone has low tolerance for or is allergic to spicy food, especially gochugaru (red chili pepper powder)? Fortunately baek (white) kimchi is available for those who want the same taste of kimchi but without the spicy flavor.

This kimchi type offers many health benefits as its hotter counterpart. Kimchi is considered to protect the immune system from disease through ingredients like kimchi cabbage, daikon radish, carrot, onions, garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, water celery, chives, jujube dates, Korean pear, chestnut, pine nuts, sesame seeds, salted shrimp and kosher salt.

These ingredients offer an array of nutrients such as vitamins A, B3, B6, C, E and K1 and minerals including beta carotene, calcium, copper, folic acid, iron, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and zinc. Kimchi also contains antioxidants and fiber. 

Another non-spicy variant is dongchimi (water radish) kimchi. This kind requires fewer ingredients and presents a simpler but tasty way to prepare kimchi.

As a Korean food lover who abstains from spicy food, I was glad to hear about these two types of kimchi from my Korean friends. I can now enjoy the taste and burn more calories with that magical side dish.

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.