Today's topic is K-FOOD Taking the World by Storm
I’m not here just to talk about kimchi
Although it will come up later
It’s bigger than that
In my last lecture,
I mentioned that water can help us fight against COVID-19
Well, I’ll say that K-FOOD plays a huge role
in strengthening us against the virus too
We’ve underestimated our own food for too long
So today, I want to dive into the scientific reasons
for why K-FOOD can help us combat COVID
We’re definitely living better than before
Right?
South Korea has come a long way
You can really see it
when you travel abroad
Honestly, I think Korea is one of
the best-run countries in the world
I’m proud to be Korean and say that often
But here is the problem
The number of people with health issues continues to rise
Our life expectancy in Korea has surpassed 80 years
But here’s the concerning part
In Korea, 1 out of every 3 people is diagnosed with cancer by age 80
Living to 80 isn’t the key
What matters is living healthily to 80
If a third of people develop cancer by then,
that’s a serious problem
It’s a much bigger issue than COVID
Now, kids today are much taller
and bigger
compared to the past,
but they have poor physical endurance
Their stamina is lacking
The proof for this is
currently, Korea has 77 tuberculosis cases per 100,000 people
Do you know when people typically contract tuberculosis?
When they didn't eat well
When they’re malnourished
Tuberculosis is often seen
in undernourished countries
Out of the 34 OECD countries,
guess where Korea ranks in tuberculosis cases per 100,000?
Can you guess
the rank?
Roughly
Please guess
Third?
If you think third, that’s underestimating it
Korea ranks first
What’s more concerning is that most patients are people in their 20s
Tuberculosis patients in their 20s
Young adults in Korea may have better physiques
thanks to improved nutrition,
but their stamina
and physical strength are very low
Because of the 12 years spent preparing for the college entrance exams,
our kids are physically and mentally exhausted
And their eating habits are all over the place
Parents often can't step in, so things have gone out of control
This is why the current state of
Koreans in their 20s are in a crisis
Physically and mentally, they’re hitting rock bottom
In universities now, professors meet with students to discuss their concerns,
usually assigning about
10-15 students per professor each semester
They say their concerns
There are two topics usually discussed during these sessions
First, finding a job after graduation
Second, health
That’s how lost many of today’s young adults feel
So, what’s one way
we can help turn things around?
Today’s lecture is about how we can leverage K-FOOD to make a difference
In the end, K-FOOD is all about fermentation
Fermentation
But a lot of people mix up fermentation with rot
But they go through the same process
It's the same
It’s the same reaction,
but if it benefits us, we call it fermentation
if it’s harmful,
we call it rot
Do you understand?
So, fermentation includes foods like kimchi, soybean paste, alcohol, vinegar
These foods change through the action of microorganisms
or enzymes,
which break down the original structure
of the ingredients into pieces
Into smaller parts
When we eat food,
digestion is essentially
breaking food down
so our bodies can absorb it
That is called digestion
So, if food is fermented, part of the breaking-down has already been done
making it easier for our bodies to absorb and boosting nutrient absorption rates
It would boost up so much
Also, during fermentation,
beneficial metabolic byproducts are formed
Take kimchi, for example, it produces lactic acid bacteria
that weren’t in the cabbage originally
Or take cheonggukjang, it develops that sticky texture,
which also wasn’t there initially
These metabolic byproducts formed through fermentation
are incredibly beneficial for our bodies
So, fermentation is highly beneficial, especially for Koreans,
who have a long history of fermented foods
Our ancestors may not have understood the chemistry,
but they knew from experience that fermented foods were good for health,
and that tradition has continued
But one term that Koreans often misunderstand is
enzymes
What do they misunderstand?
Many people think that more enzymes
are always better for health,
but enzymes aren’t nutrients
They aren’t something you can just consume a lot of for added benefits
This is a misconception we need to clear up
So, what exactly are enzymes?
Enzymes work like catalysts,
helping to break down other substances to create beneficial nutrients
Do you understand?
Enzymes themselves aren’t nutrients
They’re what help produce nutrients
We eat the nutrients created, not the enzymes themselves
A classic example is sikhye
To make sikhye, you start with
godubap (hard-cooked rice)
You make godubap
then add malt
After that,
sikhye is made
Basically, godubap is rice with big clusters of glucose
These big carb clusters
get broken down by the amylase in malt, which splits them up into
what?
glucose, making sikhye taste sweet
Here, the malt
acts as the enzyme
We eat sikhye
not the malt by the spoonful
No, of course not
Right?
It means enzymes aren’t nutrients themselves,
though people often think they are and believe they need to consume more
Now, here’s a question
Do you think there are enzymes in plum extract?
What?
No?
Then how do you think the beneficial nutrients in plums were made?
They must’ve been created by enzymes inside the plum itself
Right?
For the plum tree to grow fruit,
it absorbs nutrients from the soil,
takes in sunlight, and through photosynthesis,
produces the plums we eat
For that fruit to form,
enzymes inside the plum are essential
There must be enzymes that make the plum
In fact, all plants and animals have
their own enzymes
From tomatoes growing fruit to trees sprouting leaves
depends on its own enzymes
Do you understand now?
What enzymes are?
The enzymes in plums are what help the plum tree produce its fruit
If these plum enzymes worked in humans the same way,
then when we eat a plum, we’d start growing plums inside us
Why?
Plum enzymes are for
growing plum fruit
So, do plums have enzymes
Yes, but they’re only needed by
the plum itself
Same with tomatoes
tomato enzymes are essential
for tomatoes
You have to understand this fact
If these plant enzymes worked
in our bodies the same way they do in plants,
then it would go crazy
Eating a plum would cause plums to grow inside us,
eating a tomato would produce tomatoes,
tangerines as well
Clearly, that’s not how it works
When we consume enzymes from other sources
our bodies just break them down
They don't have their function as enzymes
Since enzymes are proteins, they’re all digested in the stomach
Do you understand?
So, we don’t eat plums for their enzymes
We eat plums for the citric acid,
the tangy part,
that the enzymes
have already
created in the fruit
Do you understand?
And who needs those enzymes?
Just the plum itself
This is what we shouldn't misunderstand
It’s not that just any enzyme is good for you because it’s an enzyme
Some people, especially as they get older, hear things like,
they need to take enzyme supplements
You see ads pushing this idea a lot
But there are so many
different types of enzymes
And when they talk about enzyme loss with age, they’re usually referring to
digestive enzymes
Protease for breaking down proteins,
lipase for fats,
and amylase for carbs
These three make up what we call
the big three digestive enzymes
because these things help us digest
Now, do digestive enzymes naturally decrease as we age?
Yes, they do
As we get older, our body’s activity levels decrease,
so naturally, we don’t need
as many enzymes to break down food
If it increases, that would be a problem
Why do you mess up the balance that God set up?
Right?
As we age, we’re meant to die eventually
Right?
So, as we get older, it’s perfectly natural for our digestive enzyme levels
to decrease
There’s no need to obsess over getting more digestive enzymes
Right?
When should you take digestive enzymes?
When you’re having trouble digesting
Let’s say you eat something and feel indigestion
then you’d take a digestive aid, which is just enzymes
Got it?
But if someone’s taking digestive aids
three times a day,
every day, for a whole year, what do people around them think?
They think that person is sick
But when someone takes digestive enzyme daily, they say he's health-conscious
Do you see the irony?
Digestive enzymes are
basically digestive aids,
plain and simple
People think digestive enzymes are good
but digestive aids are bad
So, when do you take them?
Only when you need them,
when digestion isn’t working right
The reason I keep talking about this is that
people often discuss fermentation and enzymes without scientific accuracy,
so I wanted to clarify what enzymes actually are
The takeaway? Are enzymes nutrients?
No
Is consuming more enzymes beneficial?
Also, no
What we’re actually consuming is
the nutrients that enzymes help create
Are we clear on the enzyme definition now?
So when people say,
“Let’s eat more enzymes for our health,”
that’s just misguided
Now, on to fermentation
Do you know what happens to alcohol once it enters your body?
It all converts to vinegar
Whether you drink makgeolli, soju, or wine,
that's fermentation
All alcohol eventually
turns to vinegar
Only to vinegar
So, whether you have alcohol or vinegar, the body processes it the same way
The difference?
Alcohol anesthetizes brain cells,
which is why people start talking nonsense when they drink
That’s the real distinction
So, fermentation is constantly happening in our bodies
For example, when you drink alcohol,
it eventually ferments into vinegar
Natural vinegar makers actually follow the same process
they make alcohol first, then turn it into vinegar
This can take 5 to 6 months
But in our bodies, alcohol is transformed into vinegar by the next morning
Our bodies ferment quickly and efficiently
Alcohol only forms
in the presence of sugars
With something sweet
Which is why wine
is made from
grapes
When they're high in sugar
Grapes contain anthocyanins, giving them that purple color,
and their sugars
convert into
alcohol
And finally it becomes wine
Leave wine long enough,
and it turns into vinegar
as the alcohol breaks down
So, when grape vinegar is made, it carries the nutrients from grapes along
That’s why grape vinegar is considered healthier than regular vinegar
It contains additional grape nutrients
Take brown rice vinegar, for instance
What do you make with that?
You make brown rice wine
Then, the wine ferments into brown rice vinegar
This vinegar contains the beneficial properties of brown rice,
which is why it’s often seen as more nutritious than regular vinegar
It has added nutrients from brown rice
Fermentation always requires sugar,
but the concentration
has to be between 20-25% for proper fermentation
When I talk about this, many people
think of green plum extracts,
which have become incredibly popular in Korea
The recipe is always the same
Half plums, half sugar
People think this mixture ferments,
but it has to be
between 20-25%
With a 50% sugar concentration,
it’s actually not fermenting,
it’s just being preserved
If you want to keep fresh plums for a year,
you have three options
Use sugar, salt, or vinegar
or dry them out completely
But since salt and vinegar change the flavor,
sugar is the go-to
Adding 50% sugar is
a preservation method,
not fermentation
Do you understand?
So, when you add 50% sugar to plums, what happens?
Due to a process called osmosis, water inside plums starts to move out,
turning the sugar into syrup,
and the plums begin to shrivel
Over time, since there’s only sugar and plums in the jar,
so the water inside the plum gets out
Osmosis is water moving from high to low concentration
Between sugar and plum, which is more concentrated?
Since the plum is more concentrated, water comes out from it
As this happens, the plums shrivel,
and makes sugar and water
And water-soluble components from the plum seep out into the syrup
Eventually, the plum’s surface
might even break,
releasing more of its contents
What you end up with,
over a long period,
is a liquid with
sugar, water, and water-soluble compounds
from the plum
People often call this
fermented,
but it’s actually just preservation,
not fermentation
The biggest issue here
isn’t with the plum extract itself
It's not harmful
The problem is this,
you’ll hear people proudly say,
"Professor, isn’t our food delicious?"
"Yes, it's good"
"We don't use any sugar"
"We only use plum extract"
We only use plum extract, no sugar
But
that’s a misunderstanding
Do you see the issue?
Thinking it’s sugar-free, they end up
adding it to dishes and even drinking it after meals,
unknowingly increasing their sugar intake
Plum extract isn’t bad in itself,
but because it contains a high amount of sugar, it should be used sparingly
People think of it as a fermented enzyme and consume it regularly,
which is misleading
Plum extract is not bad, but the problem is,
plum extract breaks down into glucose and fructose
This breakdown can make it
look clean and smooth,
leading people to believe it’s somehow fermented,
but it’s essentially just sugar water
So, when using plum extract, it’s a sugar-based product
It’s meant to be a preservative
Since it has large amount of sugar in it
Use less and think that's sugar
You got it, right?
In the past, many people over-consumed it with this misconception
As I keep giving these lectures, a lot of people start thinking,
“Oh, so I should use less sugar!” So, they add less than 50% sugar
But what happens when you lower the sugar amount?
Huh?
It goes that way
You get a sour taste
Not knowing it's going through this process
So, this has no problem
You can let it turn into vinegar or stop when it has a slight alcohol taste
Either way, the beneficial compounds in plums are still extracted
So, what’s the real reason to consume plum extract?
It’s for the citric acid,
the sour flavor
The sour taste from citric acid in plums aid digestion in the stomach
and helps fight harmful bacteria in the intestines
So it’s beneficial to consume it when you have an upset stomach or diarrhea
If you want to enjoy the benefits of plums
You don't have to think deeply
I recommend freezing the plums whole,
drying them or grinding them into a powder
Just remember to remove the pits
These days, there are simple tools
to remove plum pits, so it’s not hard
Personally, I remove the pits,
freeze a few pieces at a time,
and then add one or two directly to dishes when cooking
Red plums are actually easier to pit than green ones,
and they have over 10 times the citric acid
So, instead of having 10 green plums, you can just have one red plum
So, use a spoonful of red plum, instead of using green plum extract
It’s about quality
over quantity
I’m a big advocate for eating plums
They’re incredibly good for you
But it’s important to rethink how we consume them, especially with fermentation
I’d like to introduce
two traditional fermented foods that can boost immunity and help us fight COVID
To strengthen immunity, the gut must be healthy,
as 70-80% of immune cells reside there
The two Korean fermented foods best for gut health are
cheonggukjang and kimchi
These foods are gifts from our ancestors,
and there’s nothing else worldwide that matches their benefits for gut health
That’s the bottom line
The challenge, however, is
that people still have mixed reactions to these foods
So, perhaps it’s time to adopt
a more adaptable approach
Now, let’s look at beans
They’re about 50% protein
The highest protein content among animal and plants
When we eat beans raw or cooked,
only 50-60% of the protein is absorbed
because the body struggles to break it down efficiently
But through fermentation, proteins break down into amino acids
Fermentation is
making amino acids through breaking down proteins
With this process, 80-90% of it is absorbed into our bodies
Then what do our body has to do?
They've already done part of the digestive work for us
Did you know that soybeans originated in Korea?
They spread globally from here,
but now, less than 7% of the soybeans consumed in Korea are homegrown
The vast majority are imported, genetically modified soybeans
This is a matter of pride
A matter of pride
Why did we turn to imported soy?
Because it’s cheaper
and we can get more of it
But I believe that
instead of eating a lot of low-quality food,
we should focus on quality over quantity
If we prioritize quality, we can change our food system
Soybeans were Korea’s main source of protein
when meat wasn’t readily available
Our ancestors relied on soybeans, but today, teenagers hardly eat any
And that’s part of why their gut health is poor
How can you tell if a teenager’s gut health is bad?
The evidence?
Just notice if they have extremely foul-smelling gas or stools,
or if they suffer from constipation or diarrhea
Signs that the gut is struggling,
and that means weakened immunity
Why do they smell so bad?
The food they’re eating is rotting in their gut,
disrupting their immune system
Meanwhile, they’re putting on skincare products without realizing
the real problem is inside
Parents focus on feeding their kids,
but don’t realize the food is causing issues within the stomach
The solution? More fermented soy products
Priority number one is soybean
Soybean contains prebiotics, dietary fiber, and oligosaccharides,
which promote healthy digestion
Plus, the beneficial bacteria in soy aren’t killed by stomach acid
or even by boiling at 100°C,
unlike many store-bought probiotics
Soybeans also contain PGA, polyglutamic acid
and high levels of vitamin K2, essential for preventing osteoporosis
Without enough vitamin K2, bones become brittle
and cheonggukjang is rich in it
There’s also isoflavone,
that can help women
relieve menopause symptoms
It’s far more effective in this regard than pomegranate
It is also one of the best foods for relieving constipation
But the problem is, it uses straw for fermentation
which can carry unwanted bacteria,
giving it a strong smell
if not fermented carefully
Cheonggukjang shouldn't smell bad
That’s why cheonggukjang is often avoided here
In fact, in Japan
they isolated only the beneficial bacteria to create the natto strain,
which made natto into one of the world’s top five health foods
When our lab analyzed commercially available cheonggukjang in Korea,
we found that many products contained high levels of biogenic amines
like histamine and tyramine, which are typically used to measure spoilage
It's a global standards requiring disposal
if the levels exceed 100-300 ppm
it all has to be disposed
However, we found some products on the market with levels over 1,000 ppm
200, 400, and even up to 1,000, based on our lab’s testing
Not all products were problematic, but there were significant problems
So, our lab collaborated with Sunchang County
securing government funding of 4.5 billion won over five years
to develop a superior strain for cheonggukjang
using native Korean cultures
We aimed to produce the best-quality specifically suited for Korean
In experiments,
we can actually measure the changes in gut bacteria
For example,
after consuming,
harmful bacteria decreased by 1% while beneficial bacteria increased to 79%
You can experiment by comparing bacteria's number
Also, the person who were 100%
became 90% good bacteria
after eating native Korean cheonggukjang
Now, as for kimchi,
without a lot of fish sauce
or chili powder,
I'm talking about water kimchi, white kimchi, or dongchimi
When I mention this, people often ask for my exact recipe
How much salt? Should I roll the radish in it?
But nobody tries when the recipe is complicated
Let’s keep it simple
I’ll show you how to make water kimchi in just five minutes
It goes like this
When you get home, open your fridge
and look at the bottom vegetable drawer
Pull out whatever’s in there, maybe some carrots or yellow lettuce
That’s fine
Chop everything
to your liking,
and toss it all into a kimchi container
And radish, slice it however you like
Don't ask how to slice it
Do whatever you like
Green onions? Big or small?
Whatever you want
Chopped or whole?
It's up to you
Just put in whatever vegetables you want
Then, pour in water,
add some salt
Make it slightly salty,
as the veggies will release some water over time
That’s it
You’re done
The end
Then, just leave it out for a day to let it start fermenting
In the past, mothers would add a little sugar to speed things up,
but you can also
throw in a few apple or pear slices
whole or chopped,
whichever you prefer
If you want to add seasonings like garlic or ginger, go for it
Just toss in everything you like, add water, and adjust the salt
How long did that take?
Five, maybe ten minutes
After a day, you’ll see some bubbles forming as it starts to ferment
Then, put it in the kimchi fridge, and it’ll last for two to three weeks
Be careful not to let it ferment too long, as it’ll become too sour,
and sourness means the number of beneficial bacteria decreases
So, just before it tastes sour
Just right before
About one week to ten days is the sweet spot for peak nutrients
Try eating this simple water kimchi and cheonggukjang for just two weeks
You’ll notice a difference, even in the color of your stool,
and it can help with constipation
No need to worry
You got it?
This is the incredible gift our ancestors passed down to us
Now, here's a question
I’m storing the soybean paste my grandma made in a plastic container on balcony
And I noticed some white mold growing on it
My mom says it’s totally fine and safe to eat,
but I’m not so sure
How can you know what is safe and unsafe mold on fermented foods?
And what’s the best way to store soybean paste?
When we ferment meju, you’ll often see black,
blue,
white,
and even red mold pop up
People used to eat it all without knowing much
White mold on doenjang is usually okay and not a big deal
When storing it in plastic, people often sprinkle salt on top
that salt layer
keeps other microorganisms from growing,
so it’s safe to eat
But if you start seeing other colors,
it’s a sign that things are changing,
and it might be going bad
White mold is okay
But if you want to prevent white mold, or at least keep it to a minimum,
just sprinkle a lot of salt on top
My son has returned from studying in the U.S.,
and I'm surprised that he's gained weight, and at just 12, he has mustache
I'm concerned about obesity and early puberty
What should I feed this Western style eater son
So, what can you do?
You have to feed him well
That's a tricky question
I can't answer shortly
This isn’t just about food choices, it’s about habits
If his eating habits have been shaped over five years,
changing them could take 10-15 years of patience and consistent effort
It’s not something that can be fixed overnight,
so it’s important to focus on gradual change
Western diets often contain high amounts of protein and fat,
leading to a habit of eating calorie-dense foods
Breaking that habit requires constant effort
You can't fix that overnight
Many Korean foods are now available as processed items,
filled with additives
Normally, we can't figure out what is harmful for our body
What additives should you avoid?
When you’re buying food, it’s a good habit
to start checking the label on the back of the package
By law, they list all the additives used
in that food
The thing is, there are thousands of different additives
So, what’s the best way to deal with it?
Simple, read them all
If you go down the list
and don’t recognize something
If it’s unfamiliar,
maybe skip buying that
If you don't know,
don't buy it
But let’s be honest, if you avoid everything with unknown additives,
you’ll hardly have anything left to buy
So, here’s a practical rule
Look for products with
the fewest number of additives
Some products may have familiar names for additives
but these are rare
Generally, aim for items with fewer additives,
especially if you’re unsure about the names on the label
Thing with fewer additives
Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid additives
With that, we’ll wrap up today’s lecture
Thank you