BRISTOL INTEGRATED SCHOOL

Km 133 Diversion Road Kanlurang Mayao Lucena City

Tel. Nos.: (042) 661- 2398/ 09228376259
Official website: www.bristol.edu.ph

Name: Lalaine S. Jimenez Score: __________

Grade Level: 11- STEM Date: 12/16/2021

Subject: General Biology Type of activity: (Choose from below.)

Concept Notes Formal Theme
Skills: Exercise / Drill Informal Theme
Laboratory Report Others:__________________
Illustration

Fermentation: Making Kimchi

I. Introduction

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables. The dish is
characterized by its sour, sweet, and carbonated taste. It is made by fermenting vegetables mixed
in brine and spices. Fermentation is an anaerobic pathway in cellular respiration wherein
respiration takes place in the absence of oxygen. There are two types of fermentation—lactic
acid fermentation, where the end product is lactic acid, and alcohol fermentation, where the end-
product is alcohol.

The objective of this activity is to observe and to demonstrate the fermentation in kimchi.

II. Materials and Methods

According to my research, there are two ways of making Kimchi: the conventional or
traditional method and the simplified method. In traditional method we'll need cabbage, salt,
raddish, fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, garlic, sweet rice flour, onion, squid, leek, green onions,
and carrots for the classic form. Making kimchi in the traditional way involves many steps and
can be expensive depending on the supplies. Meanwhile, in my very own perspective, it is more
convenient to use the simplified method due to its more efficiency of getting the needed
ingredients to make a kimchi, most especially for the beginners like me that will start to make a
kimchi. In my experience, I used the simpler method to make kimchi in order to save time and
money. We also lack the other ingredients and equipment required to make the traditional
kimchi. By then, I utilized the components of napa cabbage, salt, sweet rice flour, water, crushed
garlic, minced ginger, minced onion, fish sauce, iodized salt, chili powder (which is supposed to
be hot pepper flakes but I don't have any so I use chili powder instead), leek (which I also don't
have so I use spring onions instead), onions, carrots, and radish. I also prepared veggie knife,
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Km 133 Diversion Road Kanlurang Mayao Lucena City
Tel. Nos.: (042) 661- 2398/ 09228376259
Official website: www.bristol.edu.ph

spoon, bowl, and a pan to proceed in making a kimchi. In addition, during preparation, I
followed the proper sanitation practices to prevent contamination by spoilage or harmful
microorganisms. This includes proper hand washing as well as using clean equipment, utensils,
and surfaces throughout all preparation steps.

In the process, the first step that I did is to washed the cabbage and radish to make it
clean. After that, I trim the discolored outer leaves of the napa cabbage, cut it in lengthwise into
quarters and remove the cores, then chop it up into bite size pieces. Second, I place the cabbage
in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Using my hands, I massage the salt into the cabbage
until it starts to soften a bit. Then I add enough water to cover the cabbage. By then, every 30
minutes, I turn the cabbage over to salt evenly (total salting time will be 1½ hours). 1½ hours
later, I rinse the cabbage in cold water 3 times to clean it thoroughly. For the third step I set aside
the cabbage to drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, I make the spice paste or
kimchi paste. In making the spice paste, I rinse and dry the bowl I used for salting. Add the
garlic, ginger, sugar, fish sauce, water and stir into a smooth paste. I stir it in the gochugaru (chili
powder), using 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy (I like about 2 1/2
tablespoons); set aside until the cabbage is ready. The fifth step is I simply combine the
vegetables and spice paste by gently squeezing any remaining water from the cabbage and add it
to the spice paste. After that, I add the radish and scallions. For the sixth step, I only mix all of
the ingredients including the spice paste until they are thoroughly coated. And for the seventh
step, I only pack the kimchi into the jar, then let it ferment. The eight step is I let it ferment for 1
to 5 days. I did place a bowl under the jar to help catch any overflow. And let the jar stand at
cool room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 1 to 5 days. The fermentation process usually
takes 3–4 days at room temperature or 2–3 weeks in the fridge

III. Results

After the process of making kimchi I proved that the kimchi in a room temperature
ferments faster than in refrigerator; it is due to the fermentation process that has been slowed
down by the cold. To justify this judgment, I put the kimchi in 2 different jars to store it. One is
to remain in to the refrigerator while the other is in to the room temperature to ferment. After
waiting and monitoring the kimchi in 3-4 days, I’ve noticed that my kimchi's end product has a
strong spicy aroma, bubbles and lots of liquids began to appear. Moreover, from what I have
learned and read from different websites, it is already an indication that the kimchi is already
fermented. But then, I still have doubts like ‘did I do it right?’ When I first saw the bubbles
appearing at the side top of the jar, I first thought ‘Oh no! Is it already a spoiled food?!’ since
this is my first time making a kimchi, then I guess it is alright thinking by that way. Even though
 BRISTOL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
Km 133 Diversion Road Kanlurang Mayao Lucena City
Tel. Nos.: (042) 661- 2398/ 09228376259
Official website: www.bristol.edu.ph

I slightly lose some of my confidence I decided to reach some of my classmates and also friends
who have the same task of making kimchi and ask ‘if it is alright having bubbles at the top of the
kimchi?’. My classmates said it is the same thing happened to their kimchi. Furthermore, I ask
this certain friend of mine who have successfully done the kimchi before and I let her taste and
judge my very own kimchi. She said it taste just so fine and it is normal seeing bubbles in 3-4
days of fermenting kimchi. And by that, with all of my collective of reliable sources (websites,
articles, videos on YouTube and opinions of others) regarding to how does the kimchi really
ferments. I could say that my kimchi is in the state of being good and ready to eat. Also a
successful experimentation of the fermentation process of kimchi.

Discussion
Fermentation is another anaerobic (non-oxygen-requiring) process for producing
chemical changes in organic substrates through the activity of enzymes. Many types of
organisms and cells conduct the task of breaking down glucose. Lactic acid fermentation,
also known as lacto-fermentation, is a metabolic process in which glucose or other six-
carbon carbohydrates are transformed into cellular energy and the metabolite lactate,
which is lactic acid in solution, in kimchi. Since kimchi is a fermented dish, its most
prominent flavor is often sour. Lacto-fermentation uses the bacterium Lactobacillus to
break down carbohydrates into lactic acid, which gives kimchi its distinctive sourness.

Kimchi is made through lactic acid fermentation of cabbage at low temperatures to

ensure proper ripening and preservation. Because kimchi is representative of a typical
open ecosystem, each batch of fermented food has a different composition of bacteria and
this is dependent on ingredients and fermentation conditions, which can be variable.

Kimchi fermentation is primarily a lactic acid fermentation, but also a certain

growth of aerobic bacteria, yeasts and moulds is always observed. As with other lactic
acid-fermented vegetables, some stages of fermentation can be observed in kimchi
fermentation, including the initial growth of aerobic microorganisms and the risk of
surface skin formation at the end of the fermentation due to the growth of yeasts.
Numerous biochemical changes occur during kimchi fermentation, forming flavor
compounds and changing the texture of the vegetables. A firm, crisp texture is highly
desired in the vegetable components of kimchi. As can be predicted from the numerous
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Km 133 Diversion Road Kanlurang Mayao Lucena City
Tel. Nos.: (042) 661- 2398/ 09228376259
Official website: www.bristol.edu.ph

ingredients of kimchi, this product is an important source of vitamins and their

precursors, such as certain vitamins from the B group, β-carotene, and ascorbic acid.
Since kimchi varies widely in ingredients, its exact nutritional profile differs
between batches and brands. All the same, a 1-cup (150-gram) serving contains
approximately (4, 5):
 Calories: 23
 Carbs: 4 grams
 Protein: 2 grams
 Fat: less than 1 gram
 Fiber: 2 grams
 Sodium: 747 mg
 Vitamin B6: 19% of the Daily Value (DV)
 Vitamin C: 22% of the DV
 Vitamin K: 55% of the DV
 Folate: 20% of the DV
 Iron: 21% of the DV
 Niacin: 10% of the DV
 Riboflavin: 24% of the DV

Kimchi contains Bacillus species bacteria, which create proteases, lipases, and
amylases. Proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates are all digested by these enzymes in that
order. During fermentation, lactic acid bacteria develop a variety of metabolites in
response to the type of materials and storage temperature, and these metabolites are what
determine the flavor and quality of kimchi. Kimchi has a variety of health advantages and
can be used as a side dish or as an ingredient in other cuisines.

Conclusion

References