Listen in this episode for kimchi secrets, kimchi explosions, and a little bit of kimchi K-pop, too. More recently, Kim told Gastropod, Korean politicians have invested heavily in supporting kimchi producers, kimchi science, and kimchi marketing campaigns as a "soft power" strategy to promote the country and its culture overseas. "One thing that I find really fascinating about kimchi compared to other fermented foods is that, unlike cheese or salami or yogurt, where you use starter cultures—these microbes that you buy—kimchi is not inoculated," said Tufts University researcher Benjamin Wolfe, who also serves as Gastropod's in-house microbiologist.