In Hawaii, we have all kinds of people that believe all kinds of things….luckily, we have great Kimchee too….
Chairman
It sounds a bit off the wall, but some people believe eating kimchee could ward off the avian bird flu.
“I’m a believer in kimchee,” said Ray Fretias. “I really think it keeps you healthy.”
A report out of Seoul, Korea, points to how infected birds recovered from the flu after being fed an extract of kimchee. “Maybe it does help some with bird’s immune system, but it’s a big extrapolation to think it would help a human’s immune system if in fact, it really does do that,” said human nutrition and animal science specialist Alan Titchenal.
Titchenal has his doubts how the bacteria produced by the spicy fermented cabbage would help tackle the virus, but one local business is looking at how the publicity about the avian flu may help its sales.
Halm Enterprises is Hawaii’s largest kimchee company. It’s already been approached to develop a new product line.
“We have been approached by a gentleman that has interest in producing a natural organic kimchee with the thought, as he has found it, has some value to help in avian flu problem,” said Gary Ishimoto, of Halm Enterprises.
Ishimoto isn’t so sure eating kimchee will help ward off avian flu, but he just might eat extra before he heads off to China and Vietnam this month.
