Being a child of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, I'm very much attuned to Sauerkraut.

All the references say Sauerkraut was invented by the Chinese to keep workers alive while building the Great Wall. That is not so. What they had was Napa Cabbage (actually a turnip green) soaked in vinegar, not real Sauerkraut.

I suspect real, naturally fermented Sauerkraut was invented in Poland. The Poles had huge salt mines, so could afford to salt ferment vegetables. Salt was still very expensive in most of the world, including China. It didn't become inexpensive until vast salt pans were established on the coast of Portugal.

I well Remembered the Sauerkraut Soup my mother made (not nearly often enough - she was a very reluctant cook). During my vegetarian period, I set about making a vegetarian version. It was highly successful and still my favorite Sauerkraut Soup, but I have made many dishes with Sauerkraut and Sausages, with Pork, and everything else that works.

I used to use Meters Wisconsin Kraut, which was very good, but they stopped producing it. Now, however, the multi-ethnic markets I shop at have a half dozen excellent brands imported from Poland.

The date of origin of kimchee is unknown, but salt fermented vegetables were fairly commonplace by 500 CE, and the process well established. Korean radish was the most common vegetable used.

Chili peppers did not appear in kimchee until 1614 and their use was not widespread until the 19th century, when it was discovered that sufficient chili reduced the amount of expensive salt needed. There is no evidence Napa Cabbage (actually a turnip green) was brought to Korea before the late 19th century. Lists of kimchee ingredients are extant from much earlier time into the 19th century, but no form of cabbage (real cabbage or turnip greens) is mentioned.

I read an absurd Korean denial of all this claiming that cabbage kimchee with chilis was made "thousands of years ago", which is impossible, because all chilis originated in South and Central America, and were brought to East Asia by the Portuguese around 1600. Some researchers think birds may have carried one variety of chili to Africa before arrival of the Portuguese, but this is doubtful.

Certainly there were none in East Asia until the Portuguese brought them. One of the hottest species is called chinense, but that was a mistake by a botanist who saw so many in East Asia he thought they must have originated there. They came from Brazil.