Kimchi & salt 김치와 소금

"Are the pickling methods healthful? I wonder whether the salt content has to be high. People with hypertension have to be careful."

Thank you for your question. Pickling method in most traditional cuisines was developed due to necessity to preserve food in the lack of modern refrigeration. The most prominent element in pickling is salt, followed by vinegar, sugar, & other spices. Kimchi is a hybrid of the mainline pickling method as it utilizes traditional salt pickling in conjunction with the natural process of fermentation. It is in a way, like ranching. That is asin "ranching of the normal flora". Salt controls & corrals the natural fermentation process by selectively promoting certain beneficial micro organisms while preventing development pathological ones that cause spoilage or rotting of produce. Similar method is also employed in other traditional kitchens such as in German sour kraut making. Without managing micro-organisms, a jar of bokchoi cabbage or German cabbage will end up in primordial soup of rotten vegetation, unfit for human consumption. Humanity has developed various method of controlled fermentation for millennia. Kimchi is one of those collective human culinary achievements.

While it is true that the traditional kimchi recipes require a generous amount of salt, there are many variations in kimchi recipes. Even in the same household, kimchi differs depending on the seasonal vegetable availability, seasonal temperature, atmospheric moisture content, & more importantely projected lenghth of storage. As you can see, kimchi recipes have always been dynamic & ever so adaptive to external requirements. Traditionally, housewives learned from their mothers how to make kimch to fit the immediate need of the environment. These recipes have been accumulated, modified through hundreds of years. Let us also remember that the original forms of kimchis were meant to be a slightly salty condiment to big bowl of bland rice, not a western style stand-alone salad or an entree. It had a different function.

Let us now look at some common salt variations in kimchi. Guht-jeol-yi is almost like western salad. It has the lowest amount of salt, in general. It is intended to use fresh in-season vegetables that are full of their unique flavors. The main vegetable ingredient is quickly wilted with minimal amount of salt, then seasoned with spicy dressing that usually includes cayenne pepper, garlic, green onion, ginger, toasted sesame sead or oil. Optionally, Guht-jeol-yi can be made with a dash of fish essense in place of salt, giving it a rich flavor of fermented protein. Certainly there are seasonal variations & regional adaptations.
Second type is regular kimch for everyday use with perhaps intermediate amount of salt. This type is intended to be consumed within two to four weeks. Then, there are longer term kimchis that are intended to last over winter months without refrigeration; late october to march. These are more generously salted. The source of sodium is mostly from natural sea salt. Since many recipes call for a seafood essence, a secondary source of additional sodium can be from these salty fermented seafood essences called "jeot-khal" ( akin to fish sauce frequently used in south eastern Asian kitchens). A much smaller & minor additional source is from MSG. Most Korean cooks are leary about MSG & there have been active debates regarding the use of it. Current trend is more of natural methods of cooking, independant from artificial chemicals. However, one can still discover trace amount of MSG in some commercially prepared, & marketed kimchis. Please refer to the label on the jar of kimchi you purchase.
In the last decade the Konglish(Korean English) term "well being"(wellness) has been over used & abused by the Korean media. The popularity & naturalization of the term into daily lives of Korean people shows the general sentiment & commitment of the public when it comes to health issues. After all, it is the Korean people themselves who will be affected the most as they consume the most amount of kimchi. Salt issue is on the minds of Korean people. MSG is more rapidly losing its place in most health-oriented kitchens in Korea.
An interesting factoid; In Korean culinary calendar kimchi making is one of the most prominent nation-wide event. Firms used to give special bonuses to help families in preparing several huge jars of kimchi for the winter. With the advent of modern refrigeration& also with the establishment of modern grocery chains, the kimchi event is not as prominent as in the past. The tradition does continue, though. In spite of the availability & convenience of kimchi shopping in grocery aisles, most Korean families still partake in "Kim-jang"(kimchi-making) season.
Kimchi has, long, been evolving, as you can see, & it will continue to do so to fit the needs of the consumer. On average, today's kimchis are made with far less salt than in the past. Many families also make special effort to make sure the delectable mainstay of Korean cuisine doesn't cause an adverse effect in later years by modernizing their recipes. Certainly, Kimchi can be made with a minimal amount of salt. Kimchi is healthy & beneficial, overall, and it has exciting explosive flavors. It's delicious, try it. You may like it.