Best kimchi in Australia reviewed
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of some of Australia’s most popular kimchi, including ones from Kehoe’s Kitchen, Keep in Cleaner and The Kimchi Company.
We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of these popular kimchi and see which is the best traditional kimchi and best vegan kimchi 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 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, onion and spring onion which feed the good microbes in your gut.
So in kimchi you are not only getting the beneficial microbes, you are also getting the best food to feed them - it’s a true superstar of gut health foods!
Best vegan kimchi in Australia
Kehoe’s Kitchen red kimchi
This kimchi is also our best kimchi overall in Australia.
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.
Flavour
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!
Cost and availability
You can buy a 410g jar in Woolworths for $13 - which obviously prices it like the premium product it is.
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
Best traditional kimchi in Australia
Keep It Cleaner traditional spicy kimchi
This is a traditional kimchi so it does include fish sauce and shrimp paste.
The specific ingredients are: Chinese Cabbage, Chilli Powder, Garlic, Fish Sauce, Spring Onion, Onion, Shrimp Paste, Sugar, Salt and Ginger.
It doesn’t include any thickeners, flavour enhancers or preservatives.
It does include added sugar. For context, it has about 60% more sugar than Kehoe’s Kitchen red kimchi.
So as you can see, there’s nothing highly questionable in the ingredients and it includes various healthy vegetables.
Flavour
The aroma is strongly of spring onion and garlic with a bit of citrus.
The flavour is not too sour and it is deep and complex. The garlic and spring onion come through strongly alongside the deep chilli flavour.
Although it’s labelled as ‘spicy’, I would say it is moderately spicy - certainly not very spicy. But it is easily spicier than Kehoe’s Kitchen and The Kimchi Company and the heat does build if you eat a lot of it. Personally I don’t love things which are too spicy and I think the heat level of this kimchi is perfect.
You don’t notice the fish products unless you really try to. And they do add a nice depth of flavour and umami character.
Overall, the taste is very good and multi-layered - and quite addictive!
Cost and availability
You can buy a 400g jar in Coles for around $12.50 - which places it at the premium end of the market.
Summary
4.75 stars out of 5.
A delicious traditional kimchi with a nice heat.
Pros
great taste - perfect for those who want a bit more heat
source of probiotics
high in prebiotic fibres
good source of vitamins and minerals
various health benefits from the ginger, garlic and chilli
Cons
higher in sugar than some other brands
not the cheapest
Read our full review of Keep It Cleaner traditional spicy kimchi.
Other kimchi in Australian supermarkets
The Kimchi Company vegan kimchi
This kimchi is basically a traditional kimchi without the fish sauce or shrimp paste. It is also made in Korea.
The specific ingredients are: Korean Cabbage, Red Pepper Powder, Radish, Salt, Garlic, Rice Powder, Sugar, Onion, Spring Onion, Ginger.
It includes rice powder as a thickener and added sugar which means it also has about 60% more sugar than Kehoe’s Kitchen red kimchi.
So as you can see, it’s all natural and there’s nothing highly questionable in the ingredients.
Flavour
The aroma is very strongly of radish with a little garlic in the background. Not ideal to be honest.
The flavour veers towards bland for a kimchi - everything seems a little subdued. The sourness is quite low. The garlic and red pepper are a bit dull. There’s not much umami coming through. However, there’s a nice crunch to the cabbage.
Overall, the taste is okay and not offensive - but it is just nowhere near as vibrant as Kehoe’s Kitchen or Keep It Cleaner. This was unexpected because judging by the look of it I thought it was going to be delicious!
Cost and availability
You can buy a 500g jar in Woolworths for $8.50 - which is definitely more affordable than others reviewed here.
Summary
3 stars out of 5.
An imported, largely traditional kimchi with natural ingredients. The taste won’t blow your socks off though.
Pros
source of probiotics
high in prebiotic fibres
good source of vitamins and minerals
various health benefits from the ginger, garlic and chilli
suitable for vegans
on the cheaper side
Cons
taste is underwhelming
higher in sugar than other brands
Health benefits of kimchi
Kimchi has many health benefits, especially related to its probiotic and prebiotic content.
Probiotics
One of the main benefits of kimchi is the probiotics (ie live beneficial microbes) it contains.
But because of the usual ‘wild fermentation’ process in making kimchi - 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 (as opposed to 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 kimchi.
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 cabbage, garlic, onion and spring onion in kimchi are all prebiotic vegetables.
Read more about the benefits of prebiotics.
Garlic
Kimchi usually 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 chilli powder (or red pepper powder) used in kimchi 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
Kimchi is a good source of vegetables and usually contains at least cabbage, onion and spring onion.
Apart from being high in fibre, these vegetables support digestive health and heart health as well as boost the immune system. Collectively they provide various antioxidants, vitamins C, K, B6 and folate, as well as minerals like potassium, calcium and manganese.
Kimchi can also contains radish, daikon and other vegetables.
Uses for kimchi
Kimchi is great as a side dish to many meals and excellent with any form of breakfast eggs. It is fantastic in a kimchi cheese toastie - which I personally think is the most comforting vegetarian snack there is!
Otherwise it could go on burgers, wraps, Mexican food, soups, salads and much more.
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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