Food Scientific Study on the Difference between Traditional Korean and Japanese Foods -Difference of inorganic cation contents between Kimchi, Japanese pickles and Salted and fermented fish intestines-

The difference between Kimchi, Japanese pickles, Korean Salted and fermented fish intestines and Japanese Salted and fermented fish intestines was investigated by comparising composition of inorganic cation in them. A high-performance liqid chromatography was used for the determination of Na, K, Ca and Mg in Kimchi, Japanese pickles and Salted and fermented fish intestines. The Kimchi samples analyzed were produced in the home, in the restaurant, in the nunnery and by food manufactures in Korea, and the pickles used were produced by food manufactures in Japan, and Salted and fermented fish intestines used were produced by food manufactures in Korea or Japan. The results obtained were summarized as following: (1) Sodium chloride in Kimchi was , in Asazuke, Japanese picles which the fresh vegitables was seasoned with sodium chloride and seasoning, in Japanese Kimchi, Japanese pickles which the fresh vegitables was seasoned with the mixture of sodium chloride, garlic powder, red peper's powder and seasoning, in Shoyu Zuke, Japanese pickles which the salted vegetables was seasoned with sodium chloride and seasoning after desalting. (2) Na/K value in Kimchi was and in Asazuke, in Japanese Kimchi and in Shoyu zuke respectively. (3) Kimchi contained more K and Ca than Japanese pickles. (4) Kimchi remarkably contained the Ca originating to salted and fermented fish intestines. As the results of this study, it was presumed that while Kimchi and Japanese pickles is well known as a food that contributed to high blood pressure, Kimchi and Japanese Kimchi might not cause the high blood pressure because they have an excellent balance of Na/K value and low Na content. And also it was considered that these differences might be caused by the difference of th food taste between and Korean and Japanese people.