Sauerkraut vs. Kimchi: 4 Differences in the Fermented Foods

Cooks make sauerkraut (literally translated from the German to mean “sour cabbage”) from the outer leaves of a head of cabbage, fermenting them for less than a week. The shredded cabbage takes on a tangy, acidic, and sour taste due to the fermenting process. Sauerkraut recipes most often use green cabbage or red cabbage.

Since the benefits of sauerkraut include high amounts of vitamin C and vitamin K, sailors often ate this fermented cabbage topped with sea salt to ward off scurvy due to its shelf life on long voyages. Sauerkraut is also a regular condiment for hot dogs.

Kimchi—sometimes alternatively spelled kimchee—is a traditional Korean dish with a fermented vegetable base. The dominant ingredient in a kimchi side dish is cabbage—Chinese cabbage and Napa cabbage kimchi are particularly popular—but kimchi recipes vary. Different types of kimchi include a combination of fermented cabbage, daikon (or radishes), red pepper flakes, scallions, red chili pepper, green onions, fish sauce, and more ingredients.

A fixture of Korean cuisine, kimchi accompanies nearly every meal in that country. Kimchi fried rice and kimchi jjigae (or stew) are also popular Korean kimchi dishes.

Fermenting a food or drink allows beneficial bacteria to age, preserve, and pickle it. In the case of both sauerkraut and kimchi, fermentation requires salting the relevant vegetables as a preservative, sealing them in an airtight container—like a mason jar or large bowl covered in plastic wrap—and allowing them to age at room temperature for an extended period of time. Gradually, the good bacteria in the vegetables ferments the ingredients and gives them their signature tastes.

Good bacteria (also known as a probiotic) can give fermented foods gut health benefits. Probiotics counteract harmful bacteria in your gut. Combatting this bad bacteria can help boost your immune system and general sense of well-being, as well as help facilitate weight loss. One downside to eating too much kimchi, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods is that they can cause bloating.

Whether you’re planning to purchase these fermented foods pre-made from a grocery store or try your hand at making sauerkraut or homemade kimchi, it’s important to know what sets each apart. Here are four differences between kimchi and sauerkraut:

1. 1. Origins: Both sauerkraut and kimchi are technically Asian dishes, even though the former is best known for the variant that is popular in Germany. You can trace sauerkraut’s origins back to China, whereas kimchi has always been a Korean dish.
2. 2. Seasonings: Sauerkraut is a much simpler dish—often topped with just sea salt and Caraway seeds—while kimchi might incorporate a variety of seasonings. Gochugaru (red chili powder), gochujang (red chili paste), garlic, and ginger are some of the most popular additions.
3. 3. Taste: Sauerkraut has a tangy, acidic taste, whereas kimchi tastes salty, possibly even spicy. The signature kimchi taste is sometimes called umami (translated to mean savoriness). Kimchi can vary in taste due to the exact vegetables you use to make it, while sauerkraut always tastes like fermented cabbage. Depending on the ingredients, spicy kimchi is also a lot more common than spicy sauerkraut.
4. 4. Vegetables: You can make kimchi in many different ways, whereas sauerkraut has more defined limits. Baechu-kimchi is the closest to sauerkraut in that it has a simple cabbage base without any additional veggies. Sauerkraut is always cabbage, whereas kimchi can encompass a panoply of fermented vegetables.

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