Another route to take if you want to improve your gut health and add naturally occurring good bacteria to your diet is through fermented foods. This week we round up nine delicious fermented brands, from pickles to yoghurt to tea drinks.
Kefir
Whether you opt for the milk variety, or dairy-free water kefir, the varied health benefits of the fermented drink are down to its rich probiotic, antibacterial and nutrient rich make-up. Shown to help gut health, bone health, digestive issues and allergies, it’s great drunk neat, added to smoothies or swirled into curries.
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Traditional Goat Milk Kefir, Chuckling Goat, £45 for a 3-week supply
The Chuckling Goat’s kefir subscription model delivers you their traditionally fermented whole goat’s milk kefir containing your daily dose of live and active probiotic cultures, and a significant source of B12, phosphorus, calcium and Vitamin A. Buy it.
Coconut Kefir Yoghurt, The Collective, £1
A great swap for your usual morning Greek yoghurt, this coconut kefir alternative is packed with 13 different cultures for optimum gut health and has a great tang that goes beautifully with tropical fruits or granola. Buy it.
Water Kefir, No. 1 Living, 16 x 330ml bundle, £36
Founded by England rugby legend, Jonny Wilkinson, No. 1 Living crafts great tasting healthy drinks that are dairy-free, 10 per cent vegan and rich in live cultures to support your overall wellbeing. The water kefir is lightly sparkling, caffeine free and filled with over 100 million live bacteria. We love the lemon flavour, with notes of yuzu and mint – it has a mojito vibe yet with all the health benefits. Buy it.
Kimchi
A traditional Korean recipe for fermenting vegetables, Kimchi has grown in global popularity thanks to its range of flavours. Made with vegetables, garlic, ginger, chilli and fish sauces, it hits all the sweet, sour and spicy notes. Originally a method of preserving vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, radish, and commonly cabbage during the winter months, it can be eaten as a condiment, side or made into a warming stew (kimchi jjigae).
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Vegan Classic Kimchi, The Cultured Collective, £5.75
A great tasting vegan alternative with crunchy mooli radish and an aromatic spice blend, it’s perfect with avocado on toast, or stirred into a noodle soup. Buy it.
Classic Spicy Kimchi, Eaten Alive, 375g, £6
Billed as ‘funky but fresh’, this flavour bomb of chilli, garlic, ginger and spring onions with tender, Chinese leaf cabbage is great to cut through the richness of a cheese toastie or to pep up a simple eggs on toast brunch. Buy it.
Original Kimchi, Mr Kimchi, 2 x 330g jars, £9.95
Started in Tooting in 2013, using his mother-in-law’s traditional and much-loved kimchi recipe, Mr Kimchi founder, Seung Hyun began making fresh, naturally fermented authentic kimchi and selling at local markets. Fast forward and over 300,000 jars have been sold and counting. Buy it.
Kombucha
A fermented green or black tea, drunk in China and Japan for thousands of years thanks to its reported health benefits, kombucha has a natural effervescence and slight acid tang that is commonly balanced with natural flavour additions such as fruits, or enhanced with fiery ginger notes.
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Ginger Kombucha, Blighty Booch, 12 x 330ml bottles, £38
The North Wales based brewery ferments its kombucha using organic whole leaf and bud tea in small batches for a delicate flavour. The warming, sweet yet punchy ginger variety earned them three coveted stars at the Great Taste Awards and we can see why. A great healthy alternative if you love ginger beer. Buy it.
Raspberry Kombucha, Jarr Kombucha, 8 x 240ml, £18.14
Low in sugar and rich in beneficial acids, enzymes and antioxidants, Jarr’s craft kombucha comes in a deliciously tart raspberry flavour. With a light fizz, it’s the perfect summer soft drink. Buy it.
Sparkling English Blush Kombucha, LA Brewery, £10
You would be forgiven for doing a double take at LA Brewery’s Sparkling English Blush Kombucha. Brewed in Suffolk, fragrant kombucha was inspired by summer Rosé wines, with floral hop, tangy rhubarb, elderflower and seasonal fruit notes. A great non-alcoholic alternative to offer guests this summer. Buy it.
By Lydia Mansi
August 2022
