LAUSR

Abstract Red pepper powder (rpp), an important ingredient in kimchi, is responsible for its red color and spicy flavor. Previous reports showed that rpp influences the emergence of Weissells sp. bacteria in the kimchi fermentation. Herein, we tested watery kimchi (nabak) fermented with different concentrations of rpp. Analysis of bacterial counts and community composition showed that the addition of rpp did not affect these characteristics at the initial stage (week 0), but increased the number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during fermentation, especially in week 1. The number of LAB was significantly higher in the nabak kimchi with 1% rpp, wherein the Lactobacillus count was 2.6 times higher and the Weissella count was 10 times higher than that in the control nabak kimchi. The elevated Weissella count correlated with a significant increase (p