Organic kimchi, sauerkraut & vegan cheese

Choosing organic kimchi

An organic kimchi is a spicy, tangy fermented vegetable dish made with cabbage, chilli, garlic and ginger. Supermarket kimchi is often pasteurised for a longer shelf life, so a raw kimchi earns its place on its fresh, lively flavour. Loving Foods makes the kimchi here in small batches, including organic kimchi, hot and smoky kimchi and cool kimchi, a milder version. Kimchi is good with rice, eggs, noodles and toasties, and a spoonful lifts a plain bowl of soup. The flavour gets more sour the longer it sits in the fridge, so taste it as you go. Every jar here met our standard on ingredients and transparency.

Organic sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice

Sauerkraut is finely shredded cabbage fermented with salt until it turns tangy. Loving Foods makes organic sauerkraut, ruby kraut with red cabbage, spicy cortido kraut and turmeric and black pepper kraut, plus a milder kiddykraut for children. Sauerkraut juice is the brine from the jar, sold on its own, and Loving Foods makes sauerkraut juice, kimchi juice and a fermented vegetable juice mixed case. Fermented vegetables add crunch and acidity to salads, sandwiches and roast dinners.

Vegan cheese

Vegan cheese is made from nuts, seeds or oils, and many are cultured like dairy cheese for a deeper flavour. Honestly Tasty makes the range here, with garlic and herb plant-based cheese, a chilli ched spread, a blue and a truffle cultured cheese, bree and a full cheeseboard. A vegan cheese subscription box sends new cheeses each month. Keep vegan cheese chilled and wrapped, and bring it to room temperature before serving for a fuller flavour. A board of two or three cheeses with crackers, chutney and grapes makes an easy starter.

Storing and serving fermented foods

Keep raw ferments in the fridge, press the vegetables under the brine and use a clean fork every time. Start with a spoonful on the side of a meal and build up. A fermentation recipe book from Loving Foods shows how to make your own at home. Organic Fermented Foods and Vegan Fermented Foods narrow the range, Kombucha has fermented drinks, and Organic kimchi and fermented foods: A gut-health buying guide explains more.