Hi Reader,

If you already make sauerkraut—or enjoy eating it—you might be wondering:

How is kimchi actually different?

At first glance, they seem similar.

• Both are made from cabbage.
• Both are fermented.
• Both are rich in beneficial bacteria.

And at their core, they share the same process:

lacto-fermentation.

That’s where naturally occurring bacteria convert sugars into lactic acid, preserving the vegetables and creating that signature tangy flavor.

But once you look a little closer, kimchi and sauerkraut begin to take very different paths.

Sauerkraut is beautifully simple—just cabbage and salt, and of course flavoring vegetable to take it to the next level.

It’s shredded, packed tightly, and ferments fully submerged in its own brine.

Kimchi, on the other hand, is layered with flavor.

Instead of shredding, the cabbage is often chopped or left in larger pieces.
It, along with kimchi vegetables, is salted, then mixed with a seasoning paste made from ingredients like garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and often a touch of fish sauce.

And here’s where it gets especially interesting…

Kimchi isn’t always fully submerged like sauerkraut.

It undergoes what’s called solid-state fermentation, in which the vegetables are coated with seasoning rather than sitting entirely under brine. This creates a more dynamic fermentation environment, leading to deeper, more complex flavors.

It requires no fiddling to keep everything under the brine.

The result?

Sauerkraut is clean, tangy, and crisp.

Kimchi is bold, layered, and alive with flavor.

Neither is better—they’re simply different expressions of the same beautiful process.

I put together a full side-by-side comparison here if you want to explore this further:

​https://www.makesauerkraut.com/kimchi-vs-sauerkraut/​

But here’s the most important takeaway:

If you can make sauerkraut, you can absolutely make kimchi.

The process isn’t harder, just different and a little more flavorful.

Next week, I’ll walk you through one of the ingredients that often raises questions:

fish sauce.

Why it’s used, what it does, and how to substitute it if you prefer a plant-based version.

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