Description
Dry salting of kimchi vegetables concentrates flavor and reduces water activity, creating an environment that favors lactic acid bacteria while suppressing spoilage microbes.
Technical
During dry salting, NaCl draws out moisture by osmosis, lowering water activity to ~0.85–0.90 and inhibiting spoilage organisms. In the subsequent low‑temperature fermentation, lactic acid bacteria convert sugars to lactic acid, dropping the pH to 3.5–4.5 and producing characteristic tangy flavors.
Science
Primary Reaction
Osmotic dehydration followed by lactic acid fermentation
Sensory Profile
Aroma ()
savoryumamispicyfermentedearthygarlickybrinypungentcomplexfunky