How to Buy, Make, and Cook With Kimchi - Allrecipes Dish How to Buy, Make, and Cook With Kimchi Salty like soy sauce and spicy like sriracha, kimchi is the Korean superfood—condiment, ingredient, side dish, and tasty probiotic—you need to be eating right now. Here’s more about this delicious fermented dish. What is Kimchi? Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made by first combining vegetables — usually a lightly colored leafy green called Napa cabbage (or sometimes cucumber )– with red chili powder, salt, garlic, ginger, onions, and fish sauce or anchovy paste. The mixture is then rested at a cool, dry room temperature until it has fermented. Kimchi dates back for more than 1,500 years. It came about for the same reasons we have things like beef jerky and canned peaches. Ancient Koreans, without modern refrigerators, wanted to eat fresh food all year long. Now, it has found a home stateside, where it’s loved for it’s pungent, pickled flavor and unique health benefits. The varieties are endless and can be as regionally specific as barbecue in the U.S.

Photo by Meredith What Does Kimchi Taste Like? Do you like sauerkraut ? If you’re a fan of one fermented cabbage, you’ll likely be a fan of the other. (In fact, kimchi would make a delicious Reuben .) Kimchi is almost always salty, spicy, and packed with umami. It can vary in sweetness and crunchiness. depending on the amount of sugar and vegetables used. You can add more chili to make it hotter, or less for a milder variety. If you’re vegetarian, you can leave out the fish sauce or anchovy paste, though it’ll lack some of the funky flavor kimchi is known for. The Health Benefits of Kimchi The health benefits of kimchi come from the bacteria that grow during the fermentation process. It’s a vegetable probiotic in the same way yogurt is a dairy probiotic. It’s good for your tastebuds and your gut! Some medical reports have linked kimchi to more than just healthy digestion—it’s said to help lower obesity, cancer risk, and cholesterol, as well as improve your skin, brain, and immune system health.

Related: Fermented Veggies Are Alive With Probiotics Buying Kimchi If you haven’t got the days—or weeks—to wait for kimchi to ferment, it’s an easy ingredient to pick up at your local Asian market. If you’re near an H-Mart ( locations around the country ), the Korean supermarket has a particularly expansive selection. But even if that’s not an option where you are, you won’t be left high and dry: Pick up a jar or can on Amazon for under $10. Making and Storing Kimchi If you’re making kimchi yourself, you’ll need to store it in an airtight container for at least 24 hours at room temperature. Traditionally, it ferments in a clay pot buried in the ground to maintain a cool and consistent temp (but not so cold as the fridge, which slows the process). Once your kimchi is done—or your store-bought jar is opened—you can store it in the fridge for months. It will get increasingly sour as the lactic acid builds up, but this “ripe” kimchi is perfect for using as an ingredient in cooked dishes. Korean Side Dish Recipes | Beyond Kimchee Get Free Email Updates!

Signup now and receive an email once I publish new content. I will never give away, trade or sell your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time. Welcome to Beyond Kimchee! Hi and welcome! I am Holly, a native Korean mother and a wife whose favorite place in the house is the KITCHEN. I hope you find lip-smackingly delicious Korean recipes and beyond in my site. Crisis in Korea as younger generation abandons kimchi | Global | The Guardian Crisis in Korea as younger generation abandons kimchi Traditionalists fear for national dish, amid changing tastes and trade war with China Yakult workers in Seoul make kimchi in an annual event to help people in need. Photograph: Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA Friday 21 March 2014 11.37 EDT First published on Friday 21 March 2014 11.37 EDT Close This article is 2 years old Its unmistakable smell permeates Seoul subway carriages during the rush hour, and aficionados claim it is the healthiest food on the planet.

Once valued as a source of vitamin C before the arrival of refrigerators, kimchi now crops up on menus far from its birthplace on the Korean peninsula. The spicy, garlicky cabbage dish is to be found as a pizza topping and taco filling in the UK, Australia and the US, where the Obamas are said to be converts. Kimjang, the traditionally communal act of making kimchi, was recently awarded world cultural heritage status by Unesco . But despite its growing popularity in restaurants from Los Angeles to London, South Korea's national dish is in crisis in its country of origin. To kimchi's basic ingredients of napa cabbage, garlic, seasoning and copious amounts of chilli power, we can now add a trade war with China and fears of lasting damage to Korean cultural identity. According to the World Institute of Kimchi, South Korea's kimchi exports were worth $89.2m (£54m) in 2013, down 16% on the previous year. But imports – almost all of which come from China – rose almost 6% to $117.4m.

That left the South Koreans with a kimchi deficit of more than $28m – and a wound to their national pride that has festered since the trade imbalance first appeared in 2006. "It's a shame that so much of our kimchi comes from China," said Kwon Seung-hee, who teaches tourists how to make the dish at her guesthouse in Seoul . "It's cheap, but it doesn't taste as good as ours. I can tell straight away if I'm eating imported kimchi." The kimchi deficit should have been foreseen, perhaps, when the dish made the transition from luxury food to popular staple in the late 18th century. To keep up with demand, Korea began importing cabbages from China. Kimchi is an indispensable part of the Korean diet, with South Koreans eating almost 2m tonnes every year. Though it often appears in stews and soups, no meal is considered complete without a side dish of cabbage kimchi, along with variations made from daikon radish, cucumber, perilla leaf or a host of other seasonal vegetables.

"The making of kimchi … is a culture that continues to be shared by virtually all Koreans and is a significant part of their lives," Park Hei-woong, a cultural heritage administration official, said when the Unesco status was announced at the end of last year, adding that kimchi-making maintained the "cohesiveness of Korean communities … and is an essential part of the Korean cultural identity". There are an estimated 100 varieties from the fresh, crunchy dish preferred in the north to the more pungent version commonly eaten further south. According to the cultural heritage administration in Seoul, about 95 percent of Koreans eat kimchi more than once a day; more than 60 percent have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. According to Jia Choi, president of O'ngo Food Communications , a cookery school in Seoul, kimchi forms the basis of a perfectly balanced meal: several dishes made with seasonal vegetables, with a smaller quantity of rice or noodle dishes providing the carbohydrate. Traditionally, meat was never considered part of the Korean culinary jigsaw, and the famed barbecue restaurants that line Seoul's streets today only took off after the city hosted the summer Olympics in 1988.

"The Unesco award certainly gave us an added sense of pride," said Choi, who hopes kimchi's international recognition will boost consumption among her young compatriots. "Interest in traditional Korean traditional cuisine is waning. Kids today eat a more varied diet that includes a lot more western food, and that's why kimchi consumption is declining year after year." A stall selling kimchi in South Korea. Photograph: Justin McCurry for the Guardian If children develop a kimchi habit while dining out, they will almost certainly be served the Chinese version. Chinese kimchi is cheaper and, for most diners, impossible to identify as a "fraud". The trade deficit, coupled with declining consumption at home, has been described by one politician as an ordeal "as harsh as a Korean winter". But South Koreans are now looking beyond their own borders to secure kimchi's long-term future. Korean cuisine has been part of the trendy food scene in parts of California for several years and was among Forbes magazine's top 10 food trends of 2013.

Kimchi and other staples such as bulgogi [], japchae [] and samgyeopsal are also finding their way on to menus in parts of the areas of the UK outside the Korean expat enclave of New Malden. Many Britons had their first taste of kimchi, along with more than 100 other Korean foods during a two-week Tesco promotion at the end of last year, when overall imports of Korean food products to the UK rose 135 percent compared with 2012. And after years of being overlooked, Korean cuisine has joined other Asian cuisines on the UK celebrity chef beat, as demonstrated by the Hairy Bikers in a programme from South Korea that aired this week. "We need to keep pushing Korean-made kimchi as authentic, in the same way that European countries promote their cheese and wine," said Choi. "We're a tiny country compared to China, so although we can't compete in terms of volume, we can remind people around the world that our kimchi is authentic and safe." Kimchi is usually made from napa cabbage, garlic, seasoning and chilli powder.

Photograph: Brian Yarvin / Alamy/Alamy How to make kimchi A quarter of a head of napa cabbage, soaked in brine overnight A quarter of a cup of coarse sea salt for the brine 100g daikon radish 1 tbsp sugar 1. Julienne the daikon radish and cut the spring onion into 3cm slivers. 2. Colour the radish with the chilli powder then add the spring onion and all of the other ingredients except the cabbage to make the paste. Give it a thorough mixing. Rubber or plastic gloves recommended. 3. Place the cabbage in a shallow tray and along with the paste. Starting with the outer leaves and working in, smear generous amounts of the paste on each leaf until the entire cabbage is covered. 4. Tightly press the leaves together to create a bundle, and transfer the cabbage to an airtight container and place it in the fridge. You can eat the kimchi after a few days; for a more pungent dish, leave it to ferment for a month to several weeks. Courtesy of O'ngo Food Communications • This article was amended on 21 March 2014.

The recipe mistakenly omitted 1/4 cup coarse sea salt for the brine and the 30g spring onion was wrongly changed to 3g in the editing process. These have been corrected. 2015 Global K-Food Supporters Promote Korean Taste to the World! - Kimchi - YouTube 2015 Global K-Food Supporters Promote Korean Taste to the World! - Kimchi Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Oct 30, 2015 Experience Healthy and Delicious K-Food in Jeonju with our K-Food supporters! Healthy and the most beloved Korean Side Dish, Kimchi Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings, and it is one of the most beloved dishes in Korea. There are hundreds of varieties of Kimchi made from napa cabbage, radish, scallion, or cucumber as a main ingredient.

In this video, K-Food supporters had an activity of making Kimchi and Yoogwa(Sweet Korean snacks) themselves in Jeonju, which is a famous city for keeping its Korean traditional beauties and tastes. Check this video and see how Kimchi is made. Also, hope this video makes you get interested in K-Food and familiar with Korean culture as well! Category History of Kimchee | Asian Recipes You are here: Home / Korea Recipes / History of Kimchee History of Kimchee By ARAdmin Kimchi is a uniquely pungent mixture of fermented vegetables and its variations amounted to roughly 80 kinds of dishes during the Choson period. For spring, summer and fall consumption, kimchi was cured in a small quantity, but for the winter months, large quantities were made so that it could be eaten over three or four months. The kimchi-curing for the winter season was called, “kimjang” and was usually done in late November. In ancient times, kimchi was made of greens picked and salt or a salt and alcohol mixture. By the end of Unified Shillan and the beginning of Koryo, sliced-radish kimchi pickled in brine became popular.

Soon thereafter chili was introduced to Korea around 1500 and it was added to make kimchi as well. During the late Choson era, powdered chili, together with chotkal (fish or shellfish paste), bcame the favored ingredients in kimchi. In the southern regions, the chotkal was amde of anchovies, while in the northern regions, croaker and shrimp chotkal were more popular. The climatic differences of each region affected the taste of kimchi as well. In warm places, chotkal andchili poweder were used in abundance so that kimchi could be prevented from going bad. On the other hand, kimchi made in colder areas was less salty and pungent. Today, many firms are mass-producing kimchi. Kimchi Tangy and hot, it’s the accent and counterpoint to a traditional meal of rice and soup, but nowadays, kimchi is turning up in pizzas and burgers, making it a most versatile ingredient, not to mention the test of a good cook. Even bachelors who can hardly cook to survive know how to transform leftover kimchi and rice into sizzling fried rice or bubbling kimchi stew.

The process of making kimchi is an excellent example of how Korean women approach cooking. (Most men never enter the kitchen, and most women learn how to cook only after marrying and under the tutelage of their mothers-in-law.) Measurements? A handful of this, a pinch of that. Food processors? Bare hands rigorously pound, mash or rub. Fingers are dipped into the sauce for a taste. Seasonings are adjusted drop by drop. The best makers of kimchi are “old hands,” literally, because Korean cooking is very much a manual-intensive labor and the best cooks are said to have a magic touch. No recipe book can substitute for the year of trial and error necessary to develop tastebuds to detect subtle variations of flavor and the intuition to season accordingly. in the past, all the women who married into one family learned to make kimchi in the same kitchen with their mothers-in-law. The family’s distinctive flavor of kimchi has been handed down through generations. These days, fewer women have the time or space to make kimchi in the traditional way.

With nuclear families now the rule, urban households living in apartments are unable to join together for Gimjang, the annual winter kimchi making during which enough batches are made to last several households all winter. Kimchi used to be stored underground in earthenware jars that aided the fermentation process, but nowadays, special containers and even refrigerators are being developed to allow modern women to make smaller batches all year round. The easiest and quickest kimchi to make is mul kimchi, or water-kimchi. Slightly sweet and very refreshing, it’s the perfect comlement to heavy, rich dishes. Unlike most other forms of kimchi, this one does not require fermented salt shrimp paste (jeotgal), and is fermented within days. Becoming an International Favorite Kimchi is a “great cultural myth from the old dynasty era of ancient Korea…” There is a superbly palate-pleasing kimchi to delight every taste. A global favorite, kimchi is a food that adds zest to all kinds of meals and its appeal cuts across all social, economic, ethnic and geographical boundaries. Kimchi is an exotic, super spicy side dish.

While no one is quite sure whether kimchi is a pickle or a salad, its wide range of flavors, types and styles make it a palatable part of an irresistible side-dish, a great appetizer, and a naturally cultured healthy raw vegetable. Kimchi has been served daily with every meal throughout generations of Korea for thousands of years. Kimchi sparkles with the flavor of garlic, ginger, scallions and chilies. Kimchi adds zest to all goods. Kimchi is an excellent contributor to the human body. Unlike other similar foods, kimchi has its own unique nutritional value of promoting health and preventing disease, there is “none better” and it is “well worth” to the human diet. A study of kimchi history reveals that people were enjoying kimchi’s unique goodness more than 4,000 years ago. In about 2030 B.C. the inhabitants of northern India brought seeds of this vegetable to Mongolia, and the preservation of greens with other vegetables soon became common as cultured raw vegetables. Kimchi is the most versatile food. In Japan and Korea it is served as a side dish.

An impressive range of all kinds of kimchi is becoming very popular in America, Hawaii, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and way down under in Australia. Indeed, it is found and enjoyed almost everywhere nowadays. Kimchi is never fickle where flavor is concerned. Its tantalizing taste attracts particular eaters. In Japan, Korea, and both northwest and southeast Asia, each person munches an average of ten to fifteen kilograms of kimchi a year. In South Korea alone, that is about four hundred tons per year or more of kimchi consumed than any other vegetable. Currently, kimchi has become a popular health food in the “New World” ever since the first immigrant settled in the Hawaiian Islands and North America from many Asian countries. The kimchi patch provided great emotional comfort to those under exiled conditions far away from their homeland. Kimchi touched and appealed to many ethnic settlers who started making kimchi and spoke enthusiastically its zesty flavors. Believe in Beauty In both Eastern and Western history, the most famous femme fatales, Cleopatra and Yang Gyuibee, were devoted eaters of cultured raw vegetables, and believed that cultured raw vegetables had made them more beautiful. Queen Elizabeth was another royal cultured raw vegetable fancier.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty enjoyed this vegetable everyday, and fighting men from the days of Julius Caesar’s troops through the time of Napoleon on up until today have found them a delicious addition to drab soldiers’ meals. During both the Korean and Vietnam wars, the Korean government drafted kimchi into the Korean armed forces diet and earmarked almost 90% of shelf-stable (canned) kimchi production for the Army, Navy and Marines. Going even further back, there is a reference to a sailor’s salted and cultured raw vegetables in the eleventh book of the “Odyssey.” Kimchi is popular and is becoming more popular. For thousands of years in various forms “the famous and the not-so-famous” have enjoyed its unique ability to please the palate for cultured raw vegetables. Whether or not Cleopatra and Yang Gyuibee were right and this type of vegetable actually made them more beautiful, millions of cultured raw vegetable eaters for countless centuries agree that it has limitless appetite appeal. Everybody’s favorite, it adds sparkle and zest to any food: a sandwich, a salad, a banquet, a snack….

or is delicious when accompanied with rice, noodles and eaten with every main dish as a great functional appetizer or a perfect side dish. The Humor in Kimchi Kimchi is a happy and cheerful food and more than a hundred different types of kimchi offer something to appeal to every personality and taste. The Koreans build kimchi awareness with humor, for example, they say “smile with kimchiiiii’s sound!”, instead of “cheese!” when they are taking photographs. The fine autumnal harvest season is the right time for kimchi making for the long winter months. Every household is customarily and consistently serious in their efforts to preserve the best possible product for the family and other kimchi-fanciers, eaters or adorers in every neighborhood. At the same time, they recognize the nearly unlimited opportunities in keeping people’s awareness of the role of the cheerful kimchi in brightening a meal or a day. Koreans say that the surest way to get an honest laugh is to talk about kimchi.

Throughout the nation, many cities, counties, and villages traditionally have their customary events like new-kimchi-festivals, kimchi-fairs and or kimchi making contests, mostly in autumn, when new crops are harvested to celebrate the abundant blessings from God in their happy and healthy lives. It is believed that a woman’s housekeeping skill or quality is mainly evaluated by “how to make and preserve kimchi best” in their home throughout all generations from ancestors until now. Kimchi is also used as a raw material or an ingredient for a variety of other delicious dishes. Thus, making, preserving, and eating kimchi is a naturally healthy, wealthy food pattern Koreans have cherished and inherited. ‘How to make Kimchi’ for the Korean diet is not merely a proud, but an unavoidable mission to the people and the nation. Now, kimchi makers are planning to organize an international event, “the World Kimchi Fair” with cooperation between the North & South Korean Ministries of Culture to explore their ancestors’ mythic wisdom of unique food culture in the year 2002 in Seoul, Korea. Beyond an Exotic Dish Kimchi is naturally cultured raw vegetable that originated in ancient Korea.

Kimchi has been served daily in every household at every meal throughout generations of the nation for thousands of years. Kimchi sparkles with the flavors of garlic, ginger, scallions and chilies. Kimchi adds zest to all foods. Kimchi is an excellent contributor to the human body. Unlike other similar foods, kimchi has its own unique nutritional value of promoting health and preventing disease; there is “none better” and it is “well worth” for the human diet. It adds spice, flavor, and an appetite to meals and joy to living. Cheerful and bright, the flavor-packed kimchi is a friendly favorite that enlivens a meal and lifts the spirits. The power of kimchi is the power of peaceful, prosperous people who smile while working, instead of laughing at work. Because theirs is an ancient wisdom, Koreans have had an immense opportunity to note what is sound and what is likely to be of enduring value. In addition, since their is the food that has historically brought mankind a chuckle as well as refreshment, they are perhaps a little closer to the well springs of honesty and good cheer.

They know that the ability to smile at oneself is a compliment to one’s accomplishments, the reward of reasonable men, and the sign the humanity is in a happy condition. Kimchi’s Potential Although kimchi is similar to sauerkraut and other pickled products in its method of fermentation, it differs from them because of the mixed spices and salt concentration that are used. In Korea, kimchi is served as a staple food and many “cooking with kimchi” recipes have appeared during recent years. Kimchi is served in Japan as a “health food.” Thousands of professional scientists are working in kimchi research teams with an industry team functioning along side them. There is the Kimchi museum, the Kimchi Foundation, the Kimchi Research Institute as well as Kimchi science departments in colleges in Korea. All of these institutions and programs’ approach to research means that overlapping disciplines develop a comprehensive method of coping with research problems. As many as 500 or more agricultural co-operations, academic institutions, science and technical programs, and big or small private industrial firms throughout the nation co-operate in devising ways to improve the product.

Working through state institutions, the research program co-ordinates activities concerned with such aspects as horticultural breeding for better raw materials, quality controls, improving ideal flavor, ensuring shelf stability, culturing and preservation studies, packaging required, postproduction handling, and controls. Changing food patterns created the need for conveniently packed kimchi products. This in turn, required new types of products and completely different packing techniques. Cabbage Agriculture One ancient record shows that types of cabbage were introduced into China in the second century B.C. Another record shows more than 40 centuries ago the peripatetic cabbage began a journey that carried the cured raw vegetables from India to every section of the globe except for the Arctic and Antarctic. A study of the history of kimchi reveals that people have been enjoying some form of cured (fermented by natural process) vegetables, usually cabbage, for more than four thousand years. At about 2030 B.C., the inhabitants of northern India brought cabbage seeds to a valley region in the southern part of China. The preservation of this vegetable in brine became the common throughout China, Mongolia, and the Korean peninsula.

However, the particular form of seasoned, then cured, begetable product that is now known as kimchi was developed only in the Korean peninsula. Long before man began to write a record of history, cured raw vegetables were excited palates and creating tastier meals. Kimchi, a well seasoned traveler, makes friends and sparks appetites wherever it goes. In the beginning, kimchi was introduced overseas only by its own people. During the Korean war however, the UN troops who were stationed in both North and South Korea became kimchi eaters. Then the troops eventually became proponents of kimchi in their own home countries. Kimchi is no longer a mere side dish or condiment for the Korean diet alone. It has now become a favored super spicy pickle in many countries throughout Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America, as well as in Australia in recent years. Kimchi deserves its popularity because of its unique component of natural flavors: hot, sour, sweet, salty, and spicy aromas. All of these flavors are recognized as basic food tastes, and their inclusion in a single dish is both distinctive and wholesome. During the war in Vietnam, the South Korean government commissioned scientists to create kimchi for soldiers in a plant near Seoul.

In the summer of 1966, “kimchi-in-tin” products were finally shipped and served to the Korean troops in Vietnam. This was the first mass production of kimchi on a modern industrial scale, and was based on scientific research on its long history of kimchi in Korea. The first academic research paper about the science of kimchi, exploration on the phenomenon of kimchi fermentation, the food value of kimchi, and its function to human diet and so forth, was presented to the 2nd. International Conference of Food Science and Technology in Warsaw, Poland, in August 1966. It was also acknowledged as the first original research paper about kimchi in English. Thus, kimchi has been a part of the global cuisine for almost four decades. At present, there are more than 400 industrial kimchi manufacturers in South Korea alone. Although, the exact volume of kimchi production is not known in North Korea, it is probably no less than that of South Korea. Many Koreans acknowledge that the best palatable kimchi has traditionally been produced in certain regions of northern Korea.

Pyongyang and Kaesung kimchies were historically graded as the “Gourmet kimchi” of the Korean peninsula from old dynasty era. Although kimchi is is similar to sauerkraut and other cured vegetables in its method of pickling, it differs from them because of the spices and many aromatic vegetables that are used. In Japan, kimchi has been served as a “health food” for more than two decades. In Korea, kimchi is served as ‘the staple’ for centuries and many ‘cooking with kimchi’ recipes have introduced appealing new cuisine in recent years. Coordinated and comprehensive, kimchi industry research consistently improves cultural, pickling, preservation, packing and shipping methods. The result is a superior, mouth watering product of the consumer globally. An untiring effort to develop the method of modernizing kimchi production from that cottage-industrial scale to a systematically improved manufacturing process in Korea. It has finally achieved a delicacy that is cherished for its pleasantly appetizing super spicy side dish, an exotic pickle of a global palate. While skillfully managing to maintain the original humble purpose of preserving vegetables, kimchi makers have now accomplished an authentic preference of fancy global taste.

Kimchi Packing The modern kimchi manufacturers use varieties of cabbages and radishes far superior to those used for kimchi is years past. Each species has its own characteristic flavors. Soil, moisture, the climate (mainly surrounding temperature of the growing field), and the location all have crucial effects on developing the right kind of tender, crisp and pungent flavor-packed cabbages for kimchi. With careful precision, they are selected and picked at precisely the time that will provide the tastiest kimchies. Traditionally, kimchi is prepared and processed in autumn for long term preservation for the winter months when fresh greens are not accessible. It is packed into earthenware pots after the cabbage is marinated with mixed seasonings, then buried underground in the shady backyard of the house. Therefore, the kimchi pots re kept in constantly cool ambient temperatures during the whole period of a winter while kimchi is consumed. Kimchi researchers and packers have improved conventional kimchi manufacturing practices and ultimately achieved their long cherished desire for delivering ‘a global kimchi’ to the world markets: accordingly, kimchi makers have developed new varieties of super savory flavors and created aesthetic packs of high quality kimchi that have become ‘a global preference’.

However, there are currently three basic packs of kimchi products in modern super markets: 1) Freshly-packed items of salad type kimchi 2) refrigerated items of pickled kimchi 3) Pasteurized items of shelf stable kimchi. These kimchi products are produced on an industrial scale in modern facilities in response to increasing consumer demand in both domestic and foreign markets. After the wilting period in brine, the cabbages are carefully washed, drained, sorted, and trimmed then marinated with the spicy seasonings selected to impart authentic flavor. This kimchi is firm, crisp, chili-red in color and refreshingly appetizing. Authentic, original kimchi is the major exception. This is wilted and marinated at the industrial facility by a pickling method using mild seasonings and packed in specially selected container for pasteurization. Throughout the entire process of wilting in brine and marinating for freshly packed and for pasteurized kimchi, meticulous quality control procedures assure atop quality product for the consumer. The kimchi has had a long, long journey for the past 4,000 years. Today, modern methods produce a superb selection of perfect kimchi for people around the world.

Kimchi Potpourri There are more a hundred different kinds of kimchies prepared to appeal to every taste and fit in with every serving need. Also, there are many different varieties within the four seasonal groups, as well as the three major processing groups: pasteurized, refrigerated and fresh pack. Pasteurized can be either fermented or pickled. Fermented kimchi preserved and cured by natural fermentation. Genuine kimchi made from cabbages wilted in special sea salt brine, seasoned with typical kimchi ingredient and mixed spices. Current kimchi is made the same as genuine kimchi except for the long term maturation period. Refrigerated may be made in several ways, including placing wilted cabbages in a pickling solution of spice-mixture and keeping them cool, or using partial fermentation followed by refrigeration to slow the process. Fresh pack kimchi packed in spiced-ingredients plus sour vinegar mixture. This sour-cured type tastes like fresh salad kimchi. The four seasonally different types vary with its different materials and spice stuffing of each season – spring, summer, autumn and winter. The whole cabbage kichi is packed in conventional spice-mixture stuffing for a long term preservation throughout whole winter months.

The autumn kimchi is usually seasoned lighter than that of the winter’s. The summer kimchi is mainly fresh pack or sour-cured type. The spring kimchi is usually combined with other spring vegetables and stocked fall winter vegetables. Often, they are prepared together as fresh spring pack. In spring, there is also some well stored winter kimchi to be found together with newly processed one. It is not only possible to have kimchi year round as a side dish, condiment or an appetizer, but also a wide range of “cook-with-kimchi” recipes is picking up momentum. Facts About Kimchi Kimchi is ready to eat right from its container all year round. Its firm, tender, crisp texture and its zesy, fully refreshing taste makes an exotic popularity. For kimchi eaters, there is not other food that can attain the same appeal as kimchi. Kimchi satisfies the appetite and is also a perfect relish which enhances the taste of other food: it has 42 mg of vitamin C per 10g, which is more than half of the US government’s recommended daily allowance.

It is fascinating to note that when captain James Cook set sail in the 1770’s, he served his seamen a daily portion of fermented, cured cabbage to prevent scurvy, which is now known to be the result of vitamin C deficiency. Kimchi is high in fiber, a food component usually too low in the average American diet. Fiber also add the bulk necessary for proper digestion. Kimchi is rich in minerals and vitamins and is an essential source of thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), calcium and iron, all of which are essential components for human health. Kimchi is surprisingly low in calories for a food of such nutritional value, with only 33 calories per cup (less than 15 cal/100g). Hence, it provides a great way to lose weight or just keep it off. Kimchi is versatile, and its low cost and east of serving are among the reasons for its popularity. Kimchi has finally achieved its long-cherished desire of meeting global demand in handy safe containers. The Versatile Kimchi Kimchi is versatile, and its natural, healthy, low cost, and ease of serving are among the reasons for its popularity.

Kimchi is ready to eat right from the container all year round. Firm, crisp texture and its exotic, refreshing taste make it particularly savory. For many people, there is no other food that can attain the same nutritional value as kimchi. It provides a great way to lose weight or just keep it off. Kimchi has finally achieved its long-cherished desire of meeting global demand in handy, safe, shelf-stable containers. Kimchi adds zest to all food. Enjoy kimchi with meat, fish, soup, stew, hot-pot, rice and noodles. For all cuisine, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and or all Asian and Western cuisine add kimchi as a super savory side dish. Information provided by the Korean Embassy. Kimchi information taken from booklet “Hello from Korea” from the Korean Overseas Information Service and from “New Facts About an Old Myth” from Cheil Jedang Corporation. You may also like... Regular everyday Nepali food is very healthy, nourishing , practical and surprisingly tasty. … » more... Super Search Recipes by Type Food Advertising by Share Your Asian Recipes If you've got a favourite Asian recipe you'd like to share, you are welcome to submit it to us for inclusion in the correct category.

Send Us Your Recipe Photos Some of our recipes lack photos. If you've a nice image of an Asian dish you've cooked, submit it , we'd love to show it off with credit to you. Advertising Advertising on AsiaRecipe.com helps to fund the website. Please support our loyal advertisers - they help make this site possible! Basic Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Kimchee) Recipe - Chowhound 1/4 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger (from about a 2-ounce piece) 1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves (from 6 to 8 medium cloves) 2 teaspoons Korean salted shrimp, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar Summary Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish of fermented vegetables, the most common of which are napa cabbage and daikon radish. In addition to being served as banchan, Korean side dishes presented as part of a meal, it can also be used in a variety of cooked dishes. Try it as a sauce for Brussels sprouts or braised with short ribs . The versatility of kimchi makes it great to use in everyday cooking. Game plan: Kimchi needs time to ferment , so we recommend starting a batch about a week before you plan to use it.

What to buy: Korean red pepper powder or kochukaru is what gives kimchee its spiciness. It can be found in Korean markets in large resealable plastic bags, in different grades of coarseness and spiciness. Choose a grade based on your personal preference. Also known as saeujeot, Korean salted shrimp are very small, naturally fermented shrimp that impart authentic flavor to kimchi. They are sold in jars and can be found in the refrigerator case of Korean markets. Special equipment: You will need a clean 2-quart or 2-liter glass jar with a tightfitting lid to hold the kimchi while it ferments. Do not use plastic, as the odors from the kimchi can be hard to remove from plastic. by Christine Gallary Instructions 1Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2-inch pieces, discarding the root end. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and toss with your hands until the cabbage is coated. Add enough cold water to just cover (about 12 cups), making sure the cabbage is submerged (it’s OK if a few leaves break the surface).

Cover with plastic wrap or a baking sheet and let sit at room temperature at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. 2Place a colander in the sink, drain the cabbage, and rinse with cold water. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid and transfer to a medium bowl; set aside. 3Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the cabbage and toss with your hands until evenly combined and the cabbage is thoroughly coated with the mixture. Pack the mixture tightly into a clean 2-quart or 2-liter glass jar with a tightfitting lid and seal the jar. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 24 hours (the mixture may bubble). Open the jar to let the gases escape, then reseal and refrigerate at least 48 hours before eating (kimchi is best after fermenting about 1 week). Refrigerate for up to 1 month. Wine Pairing 2014 Azur Solace Rosé The spiciness of the Kimchi calls for a robust rose, and we love the 2014 Azur Solace Rosé.

Bright and refreshing with a crisp fruitiness, this wine cools the palate nicely while lifting the bold flavors in this Korean-inspired favorite. Authentic & traditional Kimchi recipe! | Kitchenwench Banchan Korean recipes Vegetables & Vegetarian Authentic & traditional Kimchi recipe! Kimchi (also spelt as kimchee), is a traditional Korean dish of fermented chilli peppers with a variety of vegetables, the most common being made with Chinese cabbage. It’s deeply ingrained into Korean culture and whilst it is mostly served as a side dish, it can also be used as a basis for other meals such as fried rice, broths and stews. Many Koreans, myself included, will only last a few days before the cravings kick in and kimchi must be eaten in some shape or form. An example of how much we Koreans love kimchi? In 2005 a report was released that heavy consumption of kimchi could not be very good for your health…and as a result, the professor who released this statement received a variety of death threats. Kimchi is serious business.

My mother’s kimchi is unlike any other that I’ve tasted, and whilst this is probably due to the care she takes with her particular recipe, it is extremely time-consuming (but very very worth it!). So, if you’ve got a spare weekend with absolutely nothing on your hands, try her family recipe for kimchi. By the end, your back will ache, your hands will be pruney and you’ll have salt and chilli flakes everywhere…but you’ll also have a little slice of fermented heaven. Mmm, spicy goodness!

Now, we usually use about 10 heads of Chinese cabbage (around 20kg of kimchi), but I’ve trimmed the recipe down for just 1 head of Chinese cabbage Ingredients 1 fresh Chinese cabbage, dark green outer leaves removed 1 1/2 cup cooking salt 1L water 1 heaped tbsp glutinous rice starch (sticky rice powder, not regular rice powder) 1 cup Korean chilli powder – aka gochugaru (not flakes, look for it at your local Korean grocery store) 1/2 cup fish sauce 6 spring onions, washed and sliced on an angle into slices about 1-2″ long 5 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 knob of ginger, grated 1/4 nashi pear, cored and peeled 1/4 brown onion, peeled 200g white/chinese radish (long and white as opposed to small, round and pink-tinged) 1. Cut the cabbage in halves or quarters, and cut into the stem to remove most of it. 2. Combine 1L water with 1/2 cup of cooking salt into a large bowl, then plunge one half or quarter of cabbage into the water at a time.

Carefully seperate the leaves layer by layer and make sure that you get the salted water right to the base of the leaves. 3. Drain water from the cabbage segments, then sprinkle a light layer of cooking salt over each layer of leaves, making sure to get more towards the thick, white base of the leaf rather than the thinner, green end. This is usually done by coating the lower half of your fingers in salt and using a flicking motion. Don’t feel that you have to use the ENTIRE 1 cup of salt here – just as much as is needed to give the leaves a light sprinkling – its hard to judge how much salt you will need/use as it depends on how big and how ‘ripe’ your cabbage is. 4. Place the cabbage segments into a bowl and leave covered for 5-6 hours, or till cabbage is floppy enough so that the leaves can be bent over, but still make a crisp ‘snapping’ noise when snapped. 20kg of Chinese/Napa cabbage that has been salted and is now ready to be washed and wrung out before the seasoning process begins! 5.

After leaving for 5-6 hours, rinse the lettuce twice in clean water, then squeeze as much water out of the lettuce as humanly possible (yes, squishing the cabbage is perfectly alright), and leave on a strainer for another 15-30 mins to drain the last of the water out. 6. The ‘sauce’ can be made whilst you’re waiting for the cabbage to wilt (in step 4). Combine 1 heaped tbsp of glutinous rice powder with 1/2 cup water in a pot, stir vigorously over a low heat till the mixture has turned white, has a very thick consistancy and bubbles whilst being stirred. 7. Let the rice powder glue cool down, and while it’s cooling, blend together the garlic, ginger, nashi pear, onion and Chinese radish into a pulpy liquid. Once the rice powder glue is completely cool, stir in the chilli powder, sugar and fish sauce, then pear mix and spring onion and combine well. 8. Lay out the cabbage and coat the front and back of every leaf with this rice chilli paste, making sure that they’re well coated and you haven’t missed any bits. 9.

Once all the cabbage has been coated, press down into an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place for 3 days to aid the fermentation process. Taste it after 3 days, and if the lettuce tastes slightly tangy, soft but with some crunch and spicy, then place in your fridge. This can be stored in your fridge for up to 3 months (if it lasts that long!) If you’ve never tried eating this before, I’d suggest going to a Korean restaurant to try it first befrore making it, but once you taste this, I guarantee you’ll come back for more! So, the recipe is time consuming, requires a lot of effort and is very hands on. You have to really be a fan to make it often, but we go through a 10-head batch in about 4-6 weeks, so it’s usually a monthly process for me and mom 🙂 As for how serious we are about our kimchi – I’d like to introduce you to our ‘kimchi refrigerator’. That’s right, a refrigerator dedicated to storing your kimchi and keeping it as tasty as possible. Mr Woofy models next to it to provide a bit of a size comparison.

Have you actually read this entire entry? Good grief – I demand you go pour yourself a glass of wine and congratulate yourself on suffering through the length of this 🙂 Please, anyone who tries this, please let me know how you go as me and mom would love to know of anyone trying this most favourite food of ours! Others who have tried this recipe:

Question: The dish Kinchi (or Ginchi) is a traditional vegetable side-dish of which country?
Answer: Korea