Vegan Kimchi Is Just As Probiotic As Traditional Kimchi

Good news for people who don't eat animal products: vegan kimchi, made without traditional ingredients like anchovies, shrimp, oyster and fish sauce, is every bit as probiotic as its fish-infused counterpart.

According to Cosmos Magazine, swapping fish ingredients for miso — a vegan fermented soybean paste used throughout Asian cuisine — leaves the finished product chock full of the beneficial bacteria that help maintain optimal gut health. Researchers from Brown University tested samples of vegan kimchi at different points during the preparation and fermentation processes. Towards the end of the fermentation period, the microbial content of vegan and traditional samples were nearly identical.

The moral of this story: eat kimchi whenever and wherever you see it — the fish ingredients don't add or subtract from its probiotic-rich nature.