Quality and functional characteristics of kimchi made with organically cultivated young Chinese cabbage (olgari-baechu)

Background: Recently, studies on nutritional and functional differences in agricultural products cultivated by organic and conventional farming have been frequently reported. However, there are few studies on the physiochemical and sensory characteristics of kimchi made of organically cultivated young Chinese cabbage (olgari-baechu) according to agricultural differences. Methods: Different types of kimchi were produced using three different types of young Chinese cabbage: young Chinese cabbage cultivated using the nature-friendly compost (YC-FNC) as a way of organic farming; young Chinese cabbage cultivated using commercially available organic compost (YC-GC); and the general young Chinese cabbage cultivated using chemical fertilizers (YC-Control) as a way of conventional farming. Physiochemical, sensory, and functional characteristics of these types of kimchi were compared and analyzed according to the passage of ripening. Results: In general nutritional ingredients according to agricultural differences, the YC-Control showed high contents in moisture, crude protein, and crude fat. YC-FNC and YC-GC showed high contents in total dietary fibers, vitamin C, and phytochemicals significantly (p