Just came back from New York. As usual we met up with the old crew and had a blast. On Saturday we stopped by Korea Town (32nd Street) for some kimchi. Sitting down, we saw this:
Kimchi from GMO bacteria!
Kimchi, for those of you who don't know, is produced by the fermentation of various vegetables (most commonly napa cabbage) by bacteria of the genera Lactobacillus. Hot chili powder and other spices are also thrown into the mix to produce this odorant yet delicious dish. Note that the placemat not only contained the patent number but the patent owner's CV plus a little label, "Great-tasting Kimchi without the Smell!" We were then served the obligate (and anticipated) appetizers:
So how did it taste? Was it "smelly"?
The smell was still there, not that I really mind it, but definitely reduced. In addition the intensity of the taste was also reduced. This makes perfect sense, the perception of taste relies heavily on olfaction. Hmm, not much of an improvement (or perhaps more appropriate, what was there to improve on?) I guess it would help reduce kimchi breath for those after lunch business meetings???
So there you have it - the next generation of smelly-free appetizers.
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One thing missing - the address!
The place is Kum Gang San
49W 32nd Street, NY
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7079497/
Hmmm, well I think a lot of the stink comes from the garlic they put in it, so I wonder how useful that bacteria is.
...why don't they just distribute parsley for consumption after the meal?
Most of the kimchi I've seen is heavy on scallions and/or green onions (like a bigger version of the scallions), but I gather Asians (native/cultural) don't dislike onion and garlic body odor. (Instead they dislike the "milky" odor of many Westerners.)
Of course, whatever weird fermentation products show up in Kimchi are certainly up for negotiation! As with any fermented food or drink, it makes sense to maintain a known starter culture, and using GMOs is a straightforward extension of that. Whether people (Asian, immigrant, or Westerner) prefer the new "less smelly kimchi", is another question entirely. Time and profits will tell.
My own issue is when kimchi is not only extra-sour, but tasting as if it's trying to be carbonated. I don't know if Koreans consider that in the "normal range". I do know my own whitebread instincts are screaming "spoiled", so I generally back off. This was mostly an issue when I was getting boxed kimchi up in Boston area, but even jar kimchi occasionally gets that way a while after opening the jar. It never seems to be an issue in restaurants, or maybe I'm just presuming that they wouldn't be serving it to me if it were really spoiled.
If you google 'lactic acid bacteria kimchi', you'll find quite a few interesting papers, such as this one on Weissella kimchii sp. nov..
If the dominant bacterial species in a batch of kimchi is a function of the age and acidity of the kimchi, I wonder how much of an effect changing just one of them may have.