Kimchi, the staple Korean food, was named as one of the world's five healthiest foods by Health Magazine in the United States recently.

Along with Spanish olive oil, Japanese soy sauce, Greek yoghurt and Indian lentils, kimchi is being touted as a cure all for prevention of diseases like cancer, digestion problems, immune booster, lowering blood cholesterol and delaying the age process.Korea's favourite spicy cabbage side dish which is served at every meal is loaded with vitamins A,B and C but its biggest benefit is the ‘healthy bacteria' called lactobacilli found in fermented foods like kimchi and yoghurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections and contains compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer.

Koreans eat approximately 20 kilos of kimchi per person each year, so much so that when Koreans have their photo taken they say ‘kimchi' instead of ‘cheese'. Kimchi is very much a part of the Korean high fibre, low-fat diet that keeps obesity at bay.

Kimchi is made from a mix of cabbage, garlic, salt, vinegar and chilli peppers and the health properties of kimchi come from the fermentation process. Kimchi has antibiotic functions as lactic acid bacteria produced in the process of fermentation suppresses growth of harmful bacteria. This bacteria not only gives a sour flavour to matured kimchi but also prevents excessive fermentation by restraining growth of other bacteria. Substances in Kimchi also help to prevent hyperacidity resulting from excess meat and other acidic foods.

Kimchi is synonymous with Korea, so much so there is a Kimchi Museum in Seoul. At Gwangju there is an annual Kimchi Festival where visitors can enjoy making kimchi and try all the various kinds of kimchi. There are many different kinds of kimchi - some made with cabbage, others made with cucumber or radish. A Korean meal is incomplete without kimchi.

泡菜，主要的韩国食品，最近被美国“健康杂志”称之为全球5种最有益健康食品之一。

泡菜，与西班牙橄榄油，日本辣酱油，希腊酸奶和印度偏豆齐名，正在作为预防多种疾病的灵药推销，被宣传为可以预防癌症，消化系统病，增加免疫，低血胆固醇和延缓衰老。韩国著名的每餐必备的香辣菜配盘有丰富的维他命A，B和C，而它的最大益处是：名为乳杆菌的“健康菌”，正如泡菜和酸乳之类的发酵食品。这种益菌有助消化，甚至预防感染，并含有某些可以防止癌变的化合物。

韩国人每人每年食用将近20公斤泡菜，多到如此程度以至在拍照片时把“cheese”说成“kimchi(泡菜)”了。泡菜占韩国高纤维，低脂肪，远离肥胖症饮食的很大比例。

泡菜由卷心菜，大蒜，盐醋和红辣椒等原料制作而成。而泡菜的健康品质来自它的发酵过程。泡菜具有抗生素的作用，这是由于在发酵过程中产生的乳酸菌抑制有害细菌的繁殖。这种乳酸菌不仅让成品泡菜有酸味而且防止过分发酵，遏制其它细菌生成。泡菜中的成分也有利于防止由过量肉和其它本性食物造成的胃酸过多。

泡菜与韩国同义并论到这样程度，以至在汉城居然有泡菜博物馆。在光州有非同一般的泡菜节，观光人们可以享受制作泡菜的快乐，品尝各种泡菜。这里有多种多样的泡菜，有用卷心菜原料，也有用黄瓜和萝卜制作的。韩国餐没有泡菜是不完整的。