I've always been curious about Kimchi, and have wanted to make a batch for a long time, but one thing always bothers me, and I have never done it.
I am used to sauerkraut and starting with a good 2-2.5% brine. But kimchi recipes that I have seen all say to rinse the cabbage leaves of salt before adding the sauce and packing it into jars, so it seems like there is very little salt to protect the ferment from undesirable bacteria before fermentation can really get started.
How is it that the fermentation is kept safe in the absence of salt?
Thanks!