Kimchi okay to eat?

brockerln · February 2013

I'm going out to a Korean BBQ place on Saturday and I just thought that I'm not sure if I should be eating the kimchi. The reason being that kimchis is made by fermenting napa cabbage in fish(mostly anchovy or shellfish) and Im not sure if that fermenting process is safe for me.

Well now that I'm thinking about it, at this place they stick the kimchi on the bbq cook top as well so it's cooked again which makes it probably safe to eat.

But anyway, I would welcome anyone's thoughts or insights. Dr. Google wasn't helpful:X

ScarletOflaherty · February 2013

What do you think pregnant Korean women eat?

theatrelily · February 2013

I taught in Korea for 7 years, and am still obsessed with kimchi. I ate an entire 1/2 gallon of it during the first trimester, so I hope it is safe! After seeing Korean women eating it indiscriminately during pregnancy, I just assumed that it's safe.

brockerln · February 2013

ScarletOflaherty:
What do you think pregnant Korean women eat?

I don't think that's a very good rule of thumb for ethnic food. Just because people eat it elsewhere doesn't make it per se safe to eat. I.e. people who live in the mediterrranean eat plenty of unpasteruized cheese like brie and feta, yet we're advised not to. Pregnant women in Tanzania drink milk that is unpaterized and sat in the sun for days before consumed, and I wouldn't think that's probably something we should eat.

Xette · March 2013

It is safe...just make sure it doesn't have any raw seafood in it.

Your post made me crave for dolsot bibimbap! LOL

Carnation77 · March 2013

The fermenting process is what makes it safe to eat. It's just a food preservation technique like salting,smoking, freezing, etc. The same technique is used in sauerkraut, yogurt, and pickled foods.

theatrelily · March 2013

Xette:
It is safe...just make sure it doesn't have any raw seafood in it.
Your post made me crave for dolsot bibimbap! LOL

THIS! Or jaeyuk dup bap. Or bibim naengmyeung.

Crap. Now I need to go buy another jug of kimchi.

TristansMom01 · March 2013

brockerln:
ScarletOflaherty:
What do you think pregnant Korean women eat?
I don't think that's a very good rule of thumb for ethnic food.  Just because people eat it elsewhere doesn't make it per se safe to eat.  I.e. people who live in the mediterrranean eat plenty of unpasteruized cheese like brie and feta, yet we're advised not to.  Pregnant women in Tanzania drink milk that is unpaterized and sat in the sun for days before consumed, and I wouldn't think that's probably something we should eat.
 

Well I ate Brie and feta with DS and I am again. In the US most cheese is pasteurized.
I am craving kimchi now though haha
Also, DS and I shared a spicy salmon roll with raw salmon yesterday and tomorrow I'm going out for more sushi. You have a higher risk of getting a food born illness from ordering chicken at Applebee's than sushi from a reputable restaurant. Andplusalso...fish is flash frozen in the US which kills any parasites which may take residence in the seafood.

BelhurstBride · March 2013

Well I hope so! I don't even want to count how many jars of it I've been through!

BlueJewelM · March 2013

brockerln:
ScarletOflaherty:
What do you think pregnant Korean women eat?
I don't think that's a very good rule of thumb for ethnic food.  Just because people eat it elsewhere doesn't make it per se safe to eat.  I.e. people who live in the mediterrranean eat plenty of unpasteruized cheese like brie and feta, yet we're advised not to.  Pregnant women in Tanzania drink milk that is unpaterized and sat in the sun for days before consumed, and I wouldn't think that's probably something we should eat.
 

Well lets all agree if any food, ethnic or American is set out for days outside, we as pregnant women. Vow not to eat it.

I've never had kimchi! Must try it sometime!!!

clearheavens · March 2013

ScarletOflaherty:
What do you think pregnant Korean women eat?

I agree! I'm Vietnamese many of our vegetables are fermented, and our staple sauce is fermented fish (nuoc nam).

MyOwnOpus · July 2014

I know this is an older post, but I wanted to reply anyway in case people still come upon it.

I'm a Korean and make a lot of my kimchi from scratch. Just an FYI - Kimchi recipes differ by region and many kimchi recipes use RAW SEAFOOD in the paste mix. I think kimchi is perfectly safe to eat during pregnancy; I eat it daily. However, I would be mindful of the ingredients used. If it's just the anchovy/fish sauce and maybe some salted mini shrimp, I think it's fine. However, given that most seafood borne food illness comes from bivalves (oysters/clams), I'd steer clear of the ones comtaining raw oysters or clams.