Water kefir is made by fermenting a combination of sugar water and water kefir grains for between 24 and 48 hours. Water kefir grains are a culture of bacteria and yeast, most commonly Lactobacillus paracasei, Lb. hilgardii, Lb. nagelii and S. cerevisiae, and have an appearance similar to that of rice (Ajmera, 2023) (Guzel-Seydim, et al., 2021).

Benefits

Although yoghurt offers great probiotic benefits, water kefir offers better probiotic benefits, as it provides a diverse range of bacterial strains (Ajmera, 2023). Studies have shown that water kefir may offer the following health benefits (Guzel-Seydim, et al., 2021):

• Anticarcinogenic or anticarcinomic effect (prevention or delay in the development of cancer).
• Hepatoprotective effect (prevention of damage to the liver).
• Cholesterol lowering effect.
• Blood-sugar reducing effect.
• Anti-microbial effect.
• Modification of gastrointestinal system.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor activity (helps to relax the veins and arteries).
• Improve wound healing.
• Anti-inflammatory effect.
• Anti-oxidant effect.
• Gastroprotective effect.

How to Make Water Kefir at Home

How to make Water Kefir recipe.

Coconut Water Kefir recipe.

Water kefir with pineapple recipe.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish that consists of fermenting cabbage with seasonings (e.g., salt, onions, garlic, ginger, sugar, chili peppers etc.). Kimchi may also contain other vegetables like celery, carrot, cucumber etc (Snyder, 2023). Fermented Kimchi contains Lactobacillus kimchi and other Lactic acid bacteria, over 34 amino acids and at least 10 different minerals (Patra, et al., 2016).

Benefits

Kimchi is produced using lacto-fermentation, meaning that Lactobacillus bacterium breaks down sugars into lactic acid. The lactic acid gives kimchi its unique sour taste profile (Snyder, 2023). Studies have shown that kimchi may offer the following health benefits (Park, et al., 2014 (Snyder, 2023):

• Antioxidative and anticancer effect.
• Antimutagenic effects.
• Boosts immune function.
• Antiobesity effect.
• Antimicrobial activities.
• Improved gut health.
• Reduce inflammation.
• Prevent yeast infections.

How to Make Kimchi at Home

Nappa cabbage kimchi recipe.

How to Make Easy Cabbage Kimchi recipe.

Traditional Kimchi recipe.

Where can I get Kimchi or the Ingredients to Make Kimchi?

Kimchi and its ingredients are available at almost every Asian Market in South Africa (SA) and kimchi is sold at some Dischem stores across SA. The following is a list of some asian Markets in major cities across SA:

• Durban – Sun Sun Asian Market; Wu Chi Fresh market
• Johannesburg – Ka Ka Lok Chinese Supermarket; Sui Hing Hong; Kokoro
• Cape Town – Korea Market; HelloAsia!; N1 Chinese Supermarket

When thinking of pickles, one tends to think of gherkins preserved in dilute brine (2 to 5% salt). The act of fermentation pickling is broadly defined as the preservation of fruits, vegetables etc. in a mixture of salt and water. The pickled substance ferments over many days using its own naturally present Lactic acid bacteria to produce a sour and salty tasting side dish (Stevens, 2023).

Benefits

It is worth noting that only pickles that contain raw and unpasteurised vinegars (e.g., Apple Cider Vinegar) retain probiotic bacterial cultures. Correctly fermented pickles have shown the following potential health benefits (Behera, et al., 2020):

• Lowers serum cholesterol.
• Immunity booster and prevents cellular damage.
• Protector from diabetes.
• Antimutagenic activity.
• Broad spectrum antimicrobial, auto aggregation, and co-aggregation.
• Improve digestion and enhance gut microbiome.

Note that pickles are high in sodium, so caution is advised for those with high blood pressure.

How to Make Pickles at Home

Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles recipe.

Pickled Vegetables – Indian Mixed Vegetable Pickle recipe.

Lime pickle recipe.

Where can I get Pickles or the Ingredients to Make Pickles?

Pickles can be purchased at leading retailers across SA, along with the ingredients needed to make your own pickles at home. Always check the product labels on your pickles to ensure that the pickles weren’t fermented in vinegar (this process does not produce probiotic cultures).