1000+ images about KIMCHI on Pinterest | Kimchi recipe, Cabbages and Korean style How to make Kimchi NEED TO TRY THIS CUZ ONE'S I KEEP BUYING FROM KOREAN STORE FERMENTS BUBBLES AND MAKES A TERRIBLE MESS IN FRIDGE!!!! See More Kimchi Recipe - David Lebovitz Kimchi Recipe 65 comments - 02.01.2008 If I had to name my favorite cuisine, it would be a toss-up between Vietnamese and Korean. Both offer charbroiled meats, pickled or marinated vegetables, and a lively and sometimes spicy array of seasonings. What’s not to like? Most unfamiliar ethnic foods become instantly accessible if you take a trip to a local shop to stock up on a few specific ingredients. It wasn’t until I learned about Moroccan spices that I realized that a tagine is basically a braise seasoned with specific spices mixed in the right combination, such as turmeric, paprika, saffron and ground ginger. Mexican food isn’t all that difficult if one familiarizes themselves with chilies, cilantro, and corn tortillas. Ok, and a nice hunk of pork shoulder as well.

Every time I go to a specialty market, whether it’s Mexican, Japanese, or Chinese, I invariably lug back bottles of vinegars, odd herbs, specialty sugars and some sort of backside-burning chili pastes home with me. The other day when I was at Tang Frères, the gigantic Asian market in Paris, I heard a voice calling out for me to make Korean bbq this weekend. It was a little strange: unlike the usual voices I hear in my head, this one had a Korean accent. And it was insistent. Then yet another voice chimed in and reminded me that I’d bookmarked a recipe that Aun at Chubby Hubby made: the most amazing-looking Vietnamese Pork Ribs in Caramel Sauce from Molly Steven’s book All About Braising . And I knew from what the doctors and lawyers told me after the sentencing phase that the only way to calm those voices in my head was sometimes to give in to their demands.

(Unlike the other voices that tell me to do all sorts of bad things—like clean my freezer or pay my bills, which I ignore.) Since a French-accented little voice in my head has been riffing on caramel lately, once my mind started gearing up to sink my teeth in to meltingly-soft caramelized pork, I raced over to the refrigerated case at Tang Frères, confident that kimchi would go into my shopping cart as well. If my brain, at this point, probably sounds to you like the United Nations General Assembly of food…imagine what it’s like for me. But I couldn’t find any. No kimchi? Zip. I’ve read that any Korean would be embarrassed to ‘buy’ kimchi, since it’s a staple of home-cooking. But since I’m not Korean, I don’t have that stigma. (Although all my Chinese friends insist I’m really Chinese, and we have our own stigmas.) And one stigma I’m over is the one against buying pickles. Of course, they had everything but. So I grabbed the biggest head of Napa cabbage and, of course, being American, I bought way, way too many racks of ribs.

Hey, if you’re gonna make ribs, you may as well make a lot of ’em. (What’s up with these recipes that call for 4 riblets per person? I’m thinking one rack per person.) No sooner had I left the market when I realized I had to lug all those ribs home on the métro, and learned another virtue of eating less: by the time I got home, I was certain my shoulder was going to fall off like the meat on the pork ribs. I can imagine that people searching online for a kimchi recipe might stop here and wonder why they’ve landed on a site about Paris, chocolate, and baking. So I made sure the recipe had a little bit of sweetness so it makes the cut. And serving caramelized ribs alongside certainly doesn’t hurt my credibility either. Now If I could only find some Parisians this weekend that have a hankering for Korean bbq and spicy pickles, I’d be in business. I’ve got 4 huge racks of pork ribs marinating in caramel sauce infused with plenty of sweet shallots, all set to go. I’ve got a couple of quarts of homemade kimchi and a few lengthy daikon radishes lined up for various banchan.

Oh, and a batch of just-churned milk chocolate ice cream as a cooling afterthought for dessert. There was another voice that told me to do that. But you already know about that one. Kimchi Two quarts Recipe adapted from Epicurious and the San Francisco Chronicle (links below). I couldn’t find chili powder so I used some Thai chili paste, which made the kimchi a bit murky. If you can, try to find the Korean chile powder. I added a scant teaspoon of Mexican chile powder for color. Even though my arm was killing me from carrying home all that pork, I was a trooper and hand-chopped all the garlic and ginger. But I think it could also be done in a blender or food processor.

1 large Chinese or Napa Cabbage 1 gallon (4l) water 1/2 cup (100g) coarse salt 1 small head of garlic, peeled and finely minced one 2-inch (6cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced 1/4 cup (60ml) fish sauce 1/3 cup (80ml) chili paste or 1/2 cup Korean chili powder 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch (3cm) lengths (use the dark green part, too, except for the tough ends) 1 medium daikon radish, peeled and grated 1 teaspoon sugar or honey 1. Slice the cabbage lengthwise in half, then slice each half lengthwise into 3 sections. Cut away the tough stem chunks. 2. Dissolve the salt in the water in a very large container, then submerge the cabbage under the water. Put a plate on top to make sure they stay under water, then let stand for 2 hours. 3. Mix the other ingredients in a very large metal or glass bowl. 4. Drain the cabbage, rinse it, and squeeze it dry. 5. Here’s the scary part: mix it all up.

Some recipes advise wearing rubber gloves since the chili paste can stain your hands. 6. Pack the kimchi in a clean glass jar large enough to hold it all and cover it tightly. Let stand for one to two days in a cool place, around room temperature. 7. Check the kimchi after 1-2 days. If it’s bubbling a bit, it’s ready and should be refrigerated. If not, let it stand another day, when it should be ready. 8. Once it’s fermenting, serve or store in the refrigerator. If you want, add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds over the kimchi for serving. Storage: Many advise to eat the kimchi within 3 weeks. After that, it can get too fermented. Related Posts and Recipes Health Benefits of Cabbage - The Paleo Gut The Paleo Gut Home » Fruit & Vegetables » Health Benefits of Cabbage Health Benefits of Cabbage 4 Some people love the taste of cabbage, particularly when it is braised or sautéed to caramelize its natural sugars. Cabbage, at least for some of its connoisseurs, becomes a tasty treat when prepared well. There are also those people who hate the taste of cabbage in all its forms.

For them, cabbage may smell like sewer gas, or maybe it is overwhelmingly bitter. In either case, cabbage is for many people a taste they just can’t stomach. The reason for the extreme reactions to cabbage is genetics. Scientists have identified a gene called TAS2R38 as the main reason why some people love the subtle sugary tastes in cabbage and others can’t stand its bitterness. The gene makes a protein that binds to a chemical called phenylthiocarbamide, or PTC for short, which generates the taste sensation of bitterness. If you have inherited this gene, you probably don’t like the taste of cabbage. (The sulphurous smell that sometimes rises from the cabbage pot can be avoided simply by not overcooking it.) But if you use some of the cooking methods shared here, you can make interesting, savoury or sweet cabbage dishes that just about anyone will love. What Is Cabbage? Cabbage is a leaf vegetable that has been around for at least 3,000 years. In its original form, it produced small, green heads, not much larger than Brussels sprouts .

Over history, farmers discovered – or developed strains – that yield frilly-leaved heads (savoy cabbage), colourful leaves (purple cabbage), and a closely related plant that has come to be known as Napa cabbage, Chinese leaf cabbage, or won-bok. For the purposes of nutrition, we’ll include Napa cabbage with Savoy cabbage, purple cabbage, and the more familiar “white” cabbage in this section. Cabbage is eaten fresh and fermented to make sauerkraut and kimchi. Both sauerkraut and kimchi are sour. How sour they become depends on how long they are fermented for. A couple of days are usually enough for kimchi, but for producing tangy and crisp sauerkraut, a good couple of weeks are required. What Are the Key Nutritional Benefits of Cabbage? Cabbage was among the first known sources of beta-carotene, even though the nutrient is far more abundant in carrots . The early twentieth-century researcher Dr. Edward Mellanby, had noticed that butter, which is a good source of vitamin A, could protect against infections in dogs.

He subsequently discovered that cabbage is a good source of an “anti-infective vitamin,” which turned out to be beta-carotene, in rats. But cabbage is also a good source of beta-carotene for people. Cabbage is a great source of vitamin C when it is first harvested. However, if cabbage is stored in the main part of the refrigerator, rather than in the crisper, it loses about half of its vitamin C content every week. Or if the cabbage is cut more than a few hours before it is cooked or served, it loses about 3/4 of its vitamin C content. Once the vegetable is taken out of the coldest part of the refrigerator, however, the damage is done, and it doesn’t matter whether it is stored as a whole head or shredded. Cooking cabbage actually has little effect on vitamin C content, especially if it is steamed. If you are eating cabbage mainly for its nutrients, then you are probably getting your vitamin C from other foods and focusing on cabbage and similar vegetables as a source of glucosinolates. These sulfur-based compounds are stable at higher temperatures that destroy vitamin C.

Storing cabbage at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 degrees Celsius, only causes the loss of about 10-25% of glucosinolates each week, although finely shredded (either “angel hair” or ground cabbage) cabbage loses essentially all of its glucosinolates in just six hours, even when kept in the refrigerator. Sauerkraut can only be made sour by soaking the cabbage in brine, which means the finished product is always high in salt. Souring cabbage concentrates potentially carcinogenic nitrites in the early stages of pickling, but these disappear within thirty days (and they can be washed out of sauerkraut that is eaten before it is pickled). Since kimchi is a “quick pickle,” it’s possible that by eating large amounts of it contributes to the relatively high rates of stomach cancer in Korea, but the solution is simple: Let your kimchi stay in the refrigerator (tightly sealed!) for a few weeks prior to consumption. Pickling cabbage does not reduce its vitamin content. In some cases, depending on the exact strain of bacteria fermenting the cabbage, making sauerkraut actually increases the vitamin content of the vegetable.

Like other foods made from plants in the cabbage family, sauerkraut contains the sulfur-bearing compounds known as isothiocyanates, but the sulfur in sauerkraut fights infection rather than causes cancer. Really sour, sauerkraut is especially potent against the foodborne infectious microorganism Listeria. What Health Issues Are Especially Responsive to Cabbage? Cabbage juice is a well-documented treatment for stomach ulcers. A 1940’s era doctor at Stanford University California, named Garrett Cheney, gave cabbage juice to seven of his patients who had duodenal (intestinal) ulcers. Their ulcers healed in an average of 10 days, compared to about 37 days of other treatments available at that time. Cheney also gave cabbage juice to six of his patients who had peptic (stomach) ulcers. Their ulcers healed in an average of seven days, compared to 42 days possible with medications. Cheney believed that cabbage contained “vitamin U,” an anti-ulcer vitamin.

The healing compounds in cabbage turned out not to be an actual vitamin, but rather a group of mucilaginous polysaccharides that coated the stomach and protected its lining against its own acids. About three dozen other researchers got similar results with cabbage juice in later trials, and also dried cabbage powder, and cooked cabbage, but it was cabbage juice that proved to be the most effective overall. Cheney prescribed very large amounts of juice, about 1000 to 1500 ml (1 to 1-1/2 quarts) per day, usually for one week and for no longer than two weeks at a time. It is important not to drink more than 250 ml of cabbage juice daily for more than one month at a time, so as to avoid the effects of goitrogens, explained below. Cabbage leaves are a traditional treatment for painful breast-swelling in nursing mothers. The leaves are put in the freezer of the refrigerator for 30 minutes, and then stuffed into the brassiere for 30 minutes and subsequently discarded. The treatment is repeated three times a day.

Cabbage leaves have been found in clinical trials to be as effective as hot compresses or cold packs for treating engorgement of the breast, but not quite as effective as moist heat is for treating pain. The best-known modern application of cabbage and other Cabbage-family vegetables is in cancer prevention. These vegetables provide cancer-fighting isothiocyanates, which are released as they are digested. The isothiocyanates are absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine, and they circulate back to the kidneys, the bladder, and the colon, as they are eliminated. It is in the linings of the bladder and colon that these compounds combine with the amino acid N-acetylcysteine, and the antioxidant glutathione, to form the actual anti-cancer compounds. The resulting compounds either provide extra glutathione directly to cells or cause cells to produce more glutathione on their own, but the glutathione damages cancer cell DNA in ways that keep a cancer cell from dividing. However, it also protects healthy cells from changes to their DNA that could later transform them into cancer cells. Maximum cancer protection occurs with just three or four servings of cabbage or related vegetables each week.

That is because the production of glutathione is limited by the body’s supply of N-acetylcysteine. Short of giving yourself injections of N-acetylcysteine, which really isn’t a good idea, you can’t go beyond a certain maximum activity. Also, at least 10% of people simply don’t have the genes to make the enzymes needed to convert isothiocyanates into their active form. It’s also important to understand just how much cabbage can do for you in preventing cancer. The best evidence is that eating cabbage, or cabbage-family vegetables on a regular basis, lowers the risk of colon cancer about 10 to 25%. ‘In women, eating cabbage-family vegetables can have a significant effect on breast cancer risk depends on genetics. Women who have a genetic variation known as the GSTP1 Val/Val genotype, have a higher risk of cancer if they don’t eat cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, but 50% lower risk if they do. Women who don’t have this gene may only have a 10% reduction in breast cancer risk if they eat cabbage-family vegetables regularly.

The greatest reduction of breast cancer risk for post-menopausal women is seen in those who eat large quantities of Chinese (rather than white or red) cabbage. Prostate cancer responds to a different chemical in cabbage called sulforaphane. However, men who want to modify their prostate cancer risk with diet are better off focusing on broccoli, and especially broccoli sprouts, because they contain much more sulforaphane than other cabbage family vegetables. Additional Health Applications of Cabbage Raw sauerkraut, with live cultures of Lactobacillus, can help you to lose weight. These bacteria convert some of the linolenic acid in plant and animal foods into conjugated linolenic acid, a fatty acid that assists weight loss. Cooking the cabbage, or pasteurizing it for sale in the supermarket, however, ruins the effect. Cabbage is turned into sauerkraut with the help of probiotic bacteria, but every batch has a slightly different content of probiotics , and the major fermenting strain differs from country to country. In China, sauerkraut usually contains large amounts of a friendly bacterium called Lactobacillus rhamnosus JAAS8.

This probiotic is especially helpful for counteracting what are known as “slime polysaccharides,” which harmful bacteria use to stick together and multiply rapidly. This particular probiotic is especially helpful for keeping the bad bugs at bay. The kind of cabbage best studied as a supportive food for recovery from breast cancer is white (or “green”) cabbage, the kind of cabbage most often used to make sauerkraut. Different strains of breast cancer respond to the indole compounds in cabbage in different ways. They are about 10 times as effective in helping anti-cancer drugs stop the spread of a strain of breast cancer known as MDA-MB-231, which is not activated by oestrogen, than they are for helping anti-cancer drugs stop the spread of some other common, oestrogen receptor positive strains of breast cancer. Sometimes, adding cabbage to the diet will make a difference in outcomes for breast cancer, and sometimes it will not. Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) that has been rinsed to remove salt is particularly appropriate for kidney failure diets, as it is extremely low in phosphorus. Where Does Cabbage Fit in the Families of Vegetables?

Cabbage, as its name suggests, is the most commonly consumed member of the Cabbage-family, also known as the crucifers or Cruciferae. Related vegetables include bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower , land cress and watercress, horseradish, kale , kohlrabi, komatsuna, mizuna, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnip, kale, daikon, wasabi, radish, and maca, to name just a few. Because of the perceived bitterness and pungent sulfur smell of cabbage, its tastes are not usually complemented by other Cabbage-family vegetables, although it does go well with vegetables in the Umble-family (carrots, dill) and Lily-family (onions, garlic), as well as tomatoes . What Is the Best Way to Eat Cabbage Raw? Cabbage harvested just after the first frost is the sweetest, and makes the best sauerkraut. That is the reason cabbage is traditionally a late fall and winter vegetable, eaten when it is tastiest. Raw cabbage is known to contain complex carbohydrates that fit like a key into a lock on immunostimulant receptor sites on cells throughout the body.

Scientists don’t really know whether these immunostimulant polysaccharides survive cooking, so if you are eating cabbage to boost your immune system, you should eat it raw or as uncooked, unpasteurized sauerkraut. There is just one downside to eating cabbage raw. Even if it has been fermented, raw cabbage contains tiny amounts of some sulfur-based chemicals known as goitrogens. When cabbage is eaten in excess (more than about half a pound, or 225-250 grams per day), the goitrogens can interfere with the thyroid gland’s ability to absorb iodine, used to make thyroid hormone. The solution is simple; don’t eat too much raw cabbage! The most common way North Americans eat raw cabbage, much to the chagrin of many European friends and visitors, is by combining it with a mayonnaise-based dressing to make coleslaw. Actually, there are more health benefits to this approach than one might think. Mayonnaise-based dressings “smother” most disease-causing bacteria, particularly E. coli, even if the dressing is kept out at room temperature.

Any kind of acidic vinaigrette coating on all the components of the salad will also stop growth of E. coli in the coleslaw at room temperature for as long as three days. It’s still a good idea to chill your coleslaw though, simply because it tastes better cold. The most common way the rest of the world eats raw cabbage is as sauerkraut. Fresh, raw, sauerkraut is crunchy, and tart. Cooking or pasteurizing sauerkraut makes it mushy and merely sour. Homemade kraut always tastes the best. Fortunately, it is not at all hard to make. You will need: Wide-mouth quart canning jars, such as Mason jars. These are found at most grocery stores, although you may have to ask for them. Small jars to fit inside the canning jars. They should be glass, they should be sterilized, and they should not have labels. Three tablespoons (about 50 grams) of sea salt. It’s important not to use iodized table salt, since it will kill the bacteria that ferment the cabbage. An extra-large head of cabbage, at least four and up to six pounds (2-3 kilos).

First chop the cabbage into thin strings. The slices should be about 1/10 of an inch (2 mm) wide, but this isn’t critical. You can use a knife, a mandolin, or a food processor. Put all the cabbage into a large, clean bowl and add the salt. Mix the sliced cabbage and salt with your hands. (You may have seen pictures of women mixing huge vats of cabbage and salt with their feet, but we don’t recommend this.) You can double the amount of salt if the cabbage doesn’t taste salty enough to you. Let the salted cabbage rest in the bowl for up to an hour. Then pack the mixture tightly into clean, sterilized jars (make sure the jars are cool before you pack them with cabbage). It is important not to heat the jars after they have been filled. When you are packing the jars with salted cabbage, leave 2-3 inches (25 to 75 mm) at the top of the jar. Press down on the cabbage so that the brine rises to the top.

The bacteria that will ferment the cabbage are anaerobic, that is, they can’t work when they are exposed to air, but it is OK to let the brine come in contact with the air. Then put lids on the jars. Fill the smaller jars with water and place them on the lids to keep pressure on the fermenting cabbage. Then let the mixture ferment for at least two weeks. It’s normal for bubbles to form as the cabbage ferments. If a slimy material accumulates on the surface of the brine, just spoon it off every few days. If the level of the brine drops below the top of the cabbage, add a little salt water, made with non-chlorinated water and non-iodized salt, to bring the level back up. After two weeks, store in the refrigerator to keep the kraut crisp. The same process can be used for making sauerruben, which uses turnips in place of the cabbage. What Is the Best Way to Use Cabbage in Salads? Cabbage has sweetness and crunch that help it go well with other flavourful vegetables and spices. To make a salad with cabbage, add sliced red peppers, lemon juice, and cumin.

Or combine sweet, tart, and savoury together by making a salad of cabbage, dried cranberries, and balsamic vinaigrette. Combine shredded cabbage with raw beets (this way, the cabbage isn’t dyed purple), sesame seeds, sherry wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, soy sugar, a pinch of sugar, and mint. Or mix 3-4 tablespoons (about 45 grams) of toasted walnuts, two diced scallions, thin slices of one Asian pear, one minced clove of garlic, one tablespoon of minced ginger, thin slices of one cucumber, 1/2” (10 mm) cubes of a cooked sweet potato, half a head of Napa cabbage shredded fine, and crumbled blue cheese, sesame seeds, mayonnaise, and lime juice to taste. Remember to chop, dice, or shred cabbage just before serving. This way you get to preserve its vitamin and antioxidant content. Proportions of ingredients are always to personal taste. What Is the Best Way to Cook Cabbage? The most important thing to remember about cooking cabbage is never to overcook it.

Overcooking transforms the isothiocynates, the chemicals that give cabbage both its anti-cancer properties and its distinctive taste, into hydrogen sulphide, which is better known as the source of the odour similar to rotting eggs. It’s OK to cook cabbage just until it is tender, thus keeping its colour and flavour. Cabbage is a mainstay of Russian, German, and Chinese cooking. Stuff cabbage leaves with already-cooked meat and simmer in sauce just until the leaves are tender. Braise chopped cabbage with caraway seeds for a German flavour. Or serve up cabbage stir-fried with tofu for a Chinese staple dish. What Is the Best Cabbage for Juicing? The best tasting cabbage juice is made from the ones you pick fresh from your own garden. If that’s not an option, try to buy your cabbage from a local farmer’s market just after the first frost. Failing any of the above, if you do buy your cabbage from a local greengrocer or supermarket, make sure you store the vegetable in the coldest part of the refrigerator at least over one night before making your juice. Exposure to freezing and near-freezing temperatures brings out the natural sugars in the leaf and consequently in the juice.

A Word About Kimchi If you are a fan of Korean cuisine, you are already familiar with kimchi. Most Koreans get about 10% of their total calories from kimchi, and a serving, or two or three, of kimchi appears with nearly every meal. This quick-fermented dish is usually made with Napa cabbage (although it can also be made from turnips, cucumbers, or radishes). The Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul presents 187 different versions of the dish, seasoned with salty brine, shrimp, fish, oysters, scallions, ginger, and Korean red peppers. Most versions of kimchi are spicy, but a few, such as baek kimchi, also known as white kimchi, are not spicy at all. Kimchi is an unusually healthy food. Koreans also use enormous amounts of the herb red ginseng. Scientists have discovered that the bacterium which ferments cabbage to make kimchi also converts one of the healing compounds in red ginseng into its active form. If you want to get good results from red ginseng, eat kimchi.

Many strains of the bacteria that transform cabbage into kimchi produce their own potent anti-cancer compounds, especially those that make the more acidic varieties of the product. Korean scientists have identified strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus plantarum in kimchi that stop cholesterol in food from entering the body, and even coax cholesterol out of the bloodstream. Despite the salt content in kimchi, at least one study in Korea has found that eating more kimchi is associated with lower rates of high blood pressure. The benefits of kimchi seem to derive from the bacteria that ferment it. Kimchi in a jiggae or stew is tasty, but raw kimchi is best for health benefits. Kimchi is available in supermarkets and in Korean grocery stores. No special ingredients are needed to make your own. An astonishing number of Korean cookbooks refer to rinsing Napa cabbage in your bathtub, but no bathtub (or shower) is required for this recipe. This recipe is intended to help you avoid common mistakes with Kimichi. It’s critical not to use ordinary table salt. Iodized salt kills the bacteria that ferment the cabbage.

And you will want to get your gochugaru (red chili pepper) from a Korean market or online. Your Korean friends just won’t eat kimchi you made with Mexican chili pepper flakes. Basic Spicy Kimchi Kimchi recipe, Cabbages and Vegetables on Pinterest Forward A traditional side from South Korea, kimchi is a fermented cabbage condiment not too dissimilar to pickles or sauerkraut. Famed for its spicy, tangy flavour and rich red colour, this fermented favourite is not only great for your gut but it'll turn somewhat bland dishes into fiery explosions of flavour. Whip up your own batch at home with this simple guide by, The Online Grill. See More Slow Food in Korea Slow Food in Korea An Introduction to Korean Cuisine — From Kimchi to Bibimbap Article and Photos by Anna Maria Espsäter Korean banchan. I must admit my image of Korea was somewhat hazy before my visit. Wedged between its better known neighbors, China and Japan, Korea can sometimes get a bit of a raw deal when it comes to international recognition, but as a nation it’s done very well for itself.

To get noticed Korea relies on its 48 million strong population who have turned a poor agricultural backwater ravaged by war into a technological and industrial giant, with brand names known across the globe. Modern as Korea may seem, this is still a society with deep-rooted and age-old traditions, many of which are strongly connected to food, dining and food preparation. My mission was to undertake a journey to sample the many and varied delights of Korean cuisine across the country. *A quick note of explanation: Korean spelling in English varies somewhat, due to the phonetics used and for simplicity I have here used the most common versions. This feature refers to South Korea only and although culinary traditions are similar across the border to the North, they are unwilling to allow a journalist to roam the country in search of the perfect meal. Cultural History, Culinary Traditions Family, dedication, preparation, detail, heritage and time all play a part in Korean food. Many of the dishes are rather time-consuming and hail from a period when food preparation was a real labor of love, usually undertaken by women.

The country is quite a contradiction – some 50% of marriages are arranged and there is a strict hierarchy where elders, parents and teachers are still treated with the utmost respect, while at the same time most people live in cities in glass and concrete skyscrapers and divorce rates have soared in recent years. Traditions may have taken a knock, but deep down no matter how modern the surface, Koreans are immensely fond of their heritage and its rituals, a rather quirky mix of Confucianism, Buddhism, Shamanism and Baptism. In most provinces seafood is abundant along the coastline, whereas in the mountainous interior people eat more meat. The winters are often long and harsh, particularly further north and this has greatly influenced not just the food consumed, but also the storage and pickling/fermentation processes in different regions. Culinary traditions in Korea go far back and the country has a specific imperial cuisine, known as royal palace or royal court cuisine, stemming from the Joseon dynasty, which lasted 1392-1910. In later years this type of cooking has become popular among ordinary Koreans as well and is gaining renown abroad.

Furthermore there are numerous dishes that are only made and consumed at certain times of year, during festivities and on special occasions. There are a wide variety of dishes that are tied to specific regions. Before tucking into some these delicacies though, let’s have a look at Korean staple ingredients in a meal. Basic Korean Ingredients No meal is complete without a bowl of hot, steamed rice and this is the one dish you must finish if you don’t want to seem rude. Rice is more than just a staple of a great variety of dishes and products; sweets made from different types of rice – pounded short-grain rice, glutinous rice, steamed rice, to name a few – abound, as does rice soups, mixed rice dishes such as bibimbap and of course, rice wine, liqueurs and spirits. Almost all Korean dishes will include at least a couple of the following main seasonings and sauces; hot red chili peppers or hot red chili pepper paste (known as gochujang), soybeans or soybean paste (known as doenjang), soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, ginseng, sea salt, scallions and onion.

Meat, seafood, fish, egg yolk, tofu and a wide variety of greens, roots and mushrooms are part of the Korean diet, but the emphasis is firmly on vegetables and grains making this a comparatively healthy nation. Kimchi – a National Obsession If there is one thing that defines Korean cuisine or, I hazard to suggest, the Korean national character, it is kimchi. These chili pickled or fermented vegetables are a national obsession. There are over 160 different varieties and there’s even a kimchi museum in Korea. If you don’t learn to like kimchi, I strongly advise you to skip Korea altogether. There is simply no way of spending time here and not having kimchi, sometimes as often as breakfast, lunch and dinner. But what’s not to like? Kimchi is delicious, healthy, tasty and nutritious and the pride and joy of Korean cuisine – the national dish like no other and variations on the kimchi-theme are manifold and mouth-watering. Often described quite simply as pickled cabbage, this is somewhat a misnomer.

Although the most common variety of kimchi is certainly made from Chinese cabbage, imported into Korea in the 19th Century, there are numerous other vegetables that are commonly used to make kimchi from radishes and green onions, to cucumbers and leeks. When having their photo taken Koreans don’t say “cheese” to smile, they say “kimchi”. In fact so strong is the love of kimchi that a bride is often known as Miss Kimchi and the groom as Mr. Ginseng. After getting engaged the woman has one year to learn how to make perfect kimchi. If in a year’s time the groom isn’t satisfied with her kimchi-making skills she’s deemed too immature to get married! Three different types of Korean kimchi dishes. The Making and Storing of Kimchi Making the national dish is an undertaking in and of itself. Despite changing times and a society which is modernizing rapidly, some traditions remain particularly strong. It’s certainly possible to buy ready-made kimchi from the supermarket, but many households still prefer to make their own, particularly in the countryside (although over 80% of Koreans now live in cities).

In cities many neighbors get together for a kimchi-making day in the autumn with the whole building making it together. It is an art – a woman needs a whole year to learn it properly, remember? It involves marinating the cabbage – or other vegetables of choice – in salt, seasoning it with brine, garlic, scallions and ground hot red chili peppers, but seasoning can vary widely, and then storing it correctly for it to ferment. Traditionally kimchi would be stored outside, sometimes underground, in large ceramic jars and these can still be seen in backyards and gardens. In cities, to make things simpler, it’s popular to have a special kimchi refrigerator, as the temperature has to be just right to keep the kimchi fresh and crisp tasting, even after the fermentation process. Kimchi jars covered with frost in the folk village of Suwon. Banchan Kimchi, although eaten with almost every meal, is actually a banchan, or side dish and Korean cuisine is based around these ubiquitous smaller dishes that make up an average meal. Rice, a soup – often clear – a meat or fish dish and then a variety of smaller banchan and your meal is complete.

I started eating my way around the capital, Seoul, where Korean cuisine is at its most varied. Regional dishes, as well as royal palace cuisine and modern day fusion, have all found their way into Seoul’s restaurants and many take banchan to a new level. Koreans use stainless steel or silver chopsticks and, to the relief of many a Western visitor, this is much more of a spoon culture than China and Japan. The side dishes are in no way a random selection of yummy treats, but rather they arrive in such a way as to enhance, complement and balance each other. Korean cuisine is based on principles of balance, with solid and liquid, spicy and mild, hot and cold, working together to form the perfect meal. Certain foods are meant to go together, whereas others should not be consumed during the same meal. Side dishes tend to include various different kimchi and which kimchi is served often depends on the season, e.g. young radishes in summer and a much wider variety in winter.

Kimchi was traditionally a winter food staple and many still make kimchi in preparation for winter, dating back from the time when fresh vegetables and greens were not available that time of year, but had to be pickled and stored for the long winter months. However these days, fresh greens and vegetables are popular side dishes and despite its meat-eating, barbeque reputation, Korea is great for vegetarians – and even vegans – as diary products are rare. A selection of Korean banchan. On the Culinary Trail in Korea Many Koreans take their meals Korean style, i.e., they take their shoes off at the entrance of a restaurant and then sit on a floor cushion in a modified lotus positions, which is hard on the legs, but the quality of the food makes you forget any aches and pains instantly. Seoul has some of the best restaurants in the country and it’s quite tempting never to leave town and just munch your way from place to place. But I was determined to carry on my culinary adventure. Not far from Seoul lies the town of Suwon, home to the Korean Folk Village, an outdoor museum. Apart from giving interesting insights into Korean life in the past, it’s a great introduction to kimchi jars.

The Korean Folk Village in Suwon is also the setting for a remarkably popular Korean drama, Dae Jang Geum, set during the Joseon dynasty and filmed on the spot. This drama has meant a resurgence of interest in Korean cooking, particularly royal palace cuisine, across the region and in neighboring countries. In Suwon I was first introduced to the hot clay pot version to the traditional dish bibimbap, known as dolsot bibimbap, but it was only once in Jeonju, the birthplace of this popular rice dish, that I really began to unravel its mystery. However, let’s not jump the gun. Traditional Barbequed Meats After a four-hour journey by bus to Korea’s third city in size, Daegu, I found myself in the heart of galbi country. Galbi, or barbequed beef ribs, is traditional cooking at its mouth-watering best and the dish is eaten from a large communal pot set in the middle of the table. Generally speaking all dishes are meant to be shared except your own bowl of rice and soup.

Galbi, which literally means ”rib” in Korean, is marinated in soy sauce, garlic and sugar, as well as on occasion, sesame oil, rice wine and hot red chili pepper paste and then cooked on a grill or griddle at the table. The Daegu version arrived in a hot pot type of dish instead and was already cooked in a rather nicely spicy marinade. Another barbequed favorite is bulgogi, meaning “fire meat” and this is perhaps better known than galbi. Also marinated, thin slices of sirloin or prime cut of beef are grilled, often with an assortment of greens and then wrapped into a lettuce, or other green leaf such as sesame leaf, and eaten in one go. The Home of Bibimbap Our next stop on the food trail was Jeollabuk-do province and its capital Jeonju, in the western part of Korea. This is the traditional heartland of the country and their regional dish of bibimbap has almost become as synonymous with Korean cooking as kimchi and barbequed meats. So popular is this rice dish that it’s served on the major airlines flying in and out of Seoul and many variations abound throughout the country.

In Jeonju, however, they make the original and best. For once I was being made to work for my supper and actually had to try my hand at cooking my own dish. At the Traditional Cultural Centre in Jeonju there’s a chance to learn Korean drumming, participate in a traditional Korean wedding – I married a Mr. Gay from St. Louis – and then last but not least, have the run of their enormous kitchen. The chef showed us the ropes and then we were on our own. Rice, the main ingredient, is boiled first. The dish includes many different vegetables and although these can vary, my Jeonju version included; cucumber, carrot, courgette, mushroom, spinach, cress, roots, tofu - all fried separately in sesame oil - and marinated minced beef. These were then placed with the colors complementing each other in a bowl on top of the rice. In the middle you add a generous dollop of hot red chili pepper paste and, on top, a raw egg yolk. As decoration, Korean red date, dried, crushed seaweed, ground sesame seeds and gingko nuts are placed around the yolk.

By the time the dish is finished it is an amazing mix of color, flavor and texture. Then you are asked to ruin your work of art by stirring it all together. Luckily, the mixed up version tastes absolutely divine, the different flavors blending to create wonderful tastes at once hot and cold, mild and spicy, soft and crunchy. Making the Jeonju bibimbap. Getting Into the Korean Spirit of Things Jeonju still has a traditional Hanok village in the center, with some 900 old-style Korean buildings. Hanok is based on the human body and endeavors to build in a way that is ideal for promoting health, taking into account a person’s height, eye height, shoulder width, etc. One of these buildings houses the Museum of Traditional Wine and Liquor, a small museum that gives an interesting insight into Korean rice wine, liqueur and spirit-making techniques. There is, of course, also the option — which I found duty-bound to try — of sampling the goods in order to gain as fine an understanding as possible of the process and intricacies of the products. There are many types of alcoholic beverages in Korea and 86 of them have been declared “cultural properties” by the government.

The museum specifically looks at the wine- and soju-making process. Soju, a rice-based spirit, could be considered the national spirit of Korea and it’s distilled from rice wine by-products. Wines often come flavored with fruits, flowers or medicinal herbs and although the former taste delicious, some of the latter are an acquired taste, though they are meant to be good for you. How to Cook a Quick Bulgogi at Home Korean food was a revelation, as pleasing to the eye as to the taste buds, and I was determined to try and recreate some of the culinary wonders in my own kitchen at home in England. You need: Beef sirloin 600g, onions, scallions, mushrooms, 6 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of crushed sesame salt, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of ground pepper, 1 tablespoon of molasses, 1.5 tablespoons of rice wine. How to: Slice the meat thinly against the grain, then marinate in rice wine, molasses and sugar for 30 minutes. Combine the soy sauce with minced garlic, chopped scallions, crushed sesame salt, ground pepper and sesame oil.

Pour the soy sauce mixture over the marinated meat, making sure that it covers it evenly. Pour the meat mixture into a frying pan and cook over high heat. When the meat seems almost fully cooked, add the sliced onions and mushrooms and cook until well done. Serve with lettuce or sesame leaves for wrapping the meat mixture. Recipe courtesy of the Korean Tourism Organization. Places to Eat in Korea: Seoul: How to Make Kimchi / Kim Chee How to Make Kimchi / Kim Chee Intro Intro: How to Make Kimchi / Kim Chee My father was stationed in Korea once upon a time and brought home a taste for Kimchi / Kim Chee. My mother did make it a few times ... 1 Step 1: Assemble tools and ingredients At its most basic, kimchee is chinese cabbage (can use napa, pac choi, or any chinese cabbage) fermented with garlic, pepper, salt, and ginger. Other ingredients such as ... 2 Step 2: Chop the vegetables Chop the cabbage into roughly 1-inch slices across.The daikon will wind up in rectangular slices about 1/4 inch thick by 1 to 1 1/2 inch long by 1/2 ...

3 Step 3: Mix the brine and brine the vegetables Put 4 Tablespoons of salt into 4 cups of water in a nonreactive mixing bowl, glass jar, or stoneware crock. Add all your chopped vegetables. If there isn't ... 4 Step 4: Prepare spices In this step, you will grate ginger, press or pulverize garlic, slice scallions or onions, chop or crush chilis if using whole ones, and add dish broth, sauce, ... 5 Step 5: Mix and stuff Drain the brine from the vegetables (reserving in case you need it later), and taste. They should taste nice and salty, but not so salty that you wouldn't ... Show All Items My father was stationed in Korea once upon a time and brought home a taste for Kimchi / Kim Chee. My mother did make it a few times but from her description it sounded very complicated, and something no one should try without first getting a certification in Kim Chee Preparedness.

So when I no longer lived close to an Asian Market with gallon jars of it for a decent price, I learned either to do without, or pay $5 for a tiny little jar that would last me a week if I resisted the urge to eat it daily. Then I got the book "Wild Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz, and have been making delicious Kimchi easily, ever since. Step 1: Assemble tools and ingredients Show All Items At its most basic, kimchee is chinese cabbage (can use napa, pac choi, or any chinese cabbage) fermented with garlic, pepper, salt, and ginger. Other ingredients such as daikon (or other radish), carrot, scallion / green onion or other onion, fish (in the form of dried crumbled fish, fish broth or fish sauce, or Hondashi fish broth powder), and even seaweed, are commonly used depending on preference. Here I show Kosher Salt, scallions, daikon, fresh ginger, hondashi powder, dried pepper flakes specifically for making kimchee, fresh garlic, carrot, and a very large head of pac choi /bok choy.

You will also need a sharp knife, a large nonreactive mixing bowl, a smaller nonreactive mixing bowl, and glass or stoneware jars or crocks to hold the finished product. You will need anywhere from several hours, to overnight, to soak the fresh chopped veggies in salt solution, and then anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks to ferment your kimchee depending on how warm the room is, how much salt to vegetables, and whether you had leftover kimchee "juice" to jump-start the fermentation with. For those who want measured quantities either to follow, or to get a ballpark idea of what the proportions are: For roughly two quart jars: 2 lbs chinese cabbage 1 whole daikon radish or several red radishes 1 to 2 carrots onions and/or leeks, bunch of scallions, or shallots... as many or few as you like. 6-8 cloves of garlic, or as many as you like... your love of garlic is the only limiting factor 5-6 tablespoons of grated ginger, or grate up a 4 inch piece...

again, more to taste if you like it especially Seaweed if you like, but I didn't use it in this recipe 3 tsp. hondashi japanese fish broth powder ( or a handful of dried bonito, crumbled) Brine will be 4 cups of water to 4 tablespoons of salt. If this isn't enough to cover the fresh veggies, then double the brine recipe. « Previous Next » View All Steps Download Thanks for the instructable! I&nbsp;just started my first batch tonite, I&nbsp;was sick of the msg laden jars I&nbsp;found in stores. I'm adding a bit of honey to my spice paste to try and re-create a sweet/spicy kimchee I&nbsp;just had recently, I&nbsp;hope it works! I&nbsp;usually make quick shoyu pickles, so this will be a nice change up, and kimchee soup is one of my favorites....<br /> <p>Hi, I too starting my first kimchi and made salty squid today(Hopefully it works)</p><p>You put honey in your paste but I warn you that honey is antiviral and anti bacterial, so it will prevent fermentation.

Sounds like you put tiny amount and it won't be too much of a problem. I recommend you that next time not to use honey and instead use organic sugar. I make water kefir and heard someone killed the kefir gains by using honey. Good luck! Have an awesome day!</p> <p>How do you explain mead?</p> <p>Mead is from yeast eating the sugar and producing alcohol.</p><p>Other kinds of fermentation use bacteria (and sometimes molds) - altogether different beasties. </p><p>Kimchi and sauerkraut ferment primarily form lactic-acid bacteria.</p><p>Yeasts and molds are in the kingdom of Fungi, they are eukayotes (have organelles even if only single-celled).<br>Bacteria are smaller and are a different branch of the biological family - prokaryotes, no internal organelles.</p> <p>I hate to disagree, but when honey is diluted, it can be used in a fermented process. yes, if it is too concentrated, it will kill the bacteria, but I've never had any problems with it in other recipes.

(honey mead is merely fermented honey water)</p><p>one thing to remember, though, is that if you are replacing honey with sugar, you will need more sugar than the amount of honey asked for.</p> <p>Any sugars you add will increase the acidity dramatically and speed up fermentation since there will be more food for the lactobacteria.You may end up with a more sour flavor. Also on the author's response, sardines work great!</p> My pleasure! I hope you'll share a picture when it's ready!<br>I also love kimchee soup, as do my kids. <br> I really enjoyed making my first Kimchi from this recipe! Very tasty but a bit too salty for me. Could I halve the salt content without any problem? <br> <br>thanks!!! You can make it to taste, but be aware that too much salt, and it will not really ferment much, and too little, and it could just go straight to spoiling.

<br> <br> A Korean lady told me that refrigerators are actually too warm to keep kimchi in for very long, and that I shouldn't make so much at a time that we can't use it up in a couple of weeks, because trying to keep it for months in a standard refrigerator won't work. 33-34 degrees F is much better than 39 or 40 degrees F. On the other hand, making just enough for a few days, you can leave it on the counter. You just can't expect to keep it for too long. Souring can be quite good especially for adding to soups, but once it goes beyond sour, into sweet and alcohol-smell, that is spoiled. So if it sours, hurry and make soup! <br> <br>You should be able to add a little less or more salt to taste. Just know that less salt will mean you need to use it up quicker. <p>It doesn't spoil, really it just goes beyond something that tastes good.<br><br>I ferment mine for 3-5 days and have kept it in my fridge for months before I finished it. No 'alcohol/sweet smell'.

<br><br>You can keep and eat it as long as you enjoy the flavor. Even if it grows mold, you could actually eat the mold if you wanted, however I never would...you can still remove moldy leaves and still eat the moldy leaves.<br><br>Koreans, a lot of times store kimchi in an open pot using cabbage leaves as a 'cover'. These regularly grow mold, and doesn't keep them from eating it.<br><br>I'm wondering how old this Korean lady is, The Koreans my father and I learned from were old timers on an Army base in the 70s....modern koreans have probably adapted western food safety habits.<br><br></p> Thanks for the extra information. My latest batch was 4 cups of water to 3 tablespoons of salt and it seems just as tasty except I forgot the radishes so it wasn't as crunchy! <p>Just one word of warning...</p><p>Wear rubber gloves when making spicy kimchi. My hands are burning!!!</p> <p>actually, I modified the recipe a little.

</p><p>1 whole cabbage, 6 carrots, brine.</p><p>4/5 long onions (scallions) - homegrown, a large ginger root, 2 heaped soup-spoons of cayenne pepper, 2 heaped soup-spoons of hot paprika, 1 heaped soup-spoon of HOT chilli flakes - homegrown, 6 tsp of fish sauce, and 1 knob of spanish garlic (I don't use the asian stuff - no flavour)</p><p>and 2 hours later, my hands are burning worse than they were 15 minutes after finishing.</p> <p>hi, where did you get the glass jars with plastic tops?</p> <p>hi, where did you get the jars with the plastic tops?</p> <p>Kimchi can be made easier and with fewer ingredients that you already <br>have at home, its gonna taste even better! my recipe is here<br> on my <a href="" rel="nofollow">rawismyreligion.com </a>blog</p> To avoid MSG and methyl mercury, get short grain rice (and/or sweet rice) and cook them and blend it to the soup consistency.

Mix this with Kombu juice (Kombu is seaweed like kelp, but thicker. You can get it really cheap at H-Mart, listed as Daa-Si-Maa(다시마) in Korean. If you don't have H-mart near you, you can also order online and they will deliver to you). To get kombu juice, soak 4-6 pieces of kombu in water and use that water. This mix can be used for any fish sauce while making any kimchi. Also use sea salt instead of regular salt both for soaking napa and for the sauce. kimchi @ quy @ carlisle 17015 This question is about the fermentation part, do you not tighten down the lids of the jars, or do you open ferment by leaving the lids loose? <br> <br>Thanks, <br>jlh357 i just completed this. i didnt know how much chili to put in. i used red radish and yellow onion because whole foods didnt have anything!!!! we'll see....

from &quot;The Joy of Pickling&quot; I learned that cayenne mixed with sweet paprika 1:1 (a Tbs of each) makes a good substitute for Korean chili in kim-chi. I've made several batches this way and think it's perfect Hello, <br>Do you use a half cup of your cayenne and sweet paprika mix to this recipie? <br> <br>I just made my first batch and used some red pepper flakes I had in the house. It's looking great so far and is fermenting very hard. <br> <br> not a half cup, just 2 tablespoons..a half cup would be VERY spicy Thank you so much, I was putting together another batch as the first is <br>turning out great. <br>This is the best recipie I've come across and it's a great one. I will let you konw how I do with the cayenne and sweet paprika. <br> <br>Thanks again. I would love to try some of the more &quot;interesting&quot; looking things at our Asian Market--BUT I live in a house with 4 anaphylacticly allergic to SHRIMP people.

Any hints as to how to tell if anything HAS shrimp in it--or not? <br> <br>I think I will try this without any of the &quot;fish&quot; sorts of things---husband loves things like this and our &quot;local&quot; Asian Markets are 1 1/2 hour drive away and the one and only time I got him &quot;kimchee&quot; packed in the nicest little ceramic jar the stuff smelled SO BAD the dog ran off. Prob just from some air leak or who knows but nothing like what he has had elsewhere and not a good sour smell--def a rotten eeewy smell. The crock was nice so I kept that tho! <br> <br>I wish I knew some one who could take me for a &quot;Guided Tour&quot; of the Asian MArkets and tell me what is IN those packages! The people who run the one we have gone to might speak English--or might not!--and are not that friendly and when ever I have asked a Asian person shopping a question they just look at me like I have three heads. Sigh.

<br> <br>Maybe they know I have a secret wish to liberate the poor doomed turtles swimming in their bucket. <br> <br>Thanks for de-mystifying this process tho! Oh--one way to keep the level of the liquid over anything pickling is to use a clean china plate weighted down with either a very clean rock; a glass jar filled with water on top of the plate; or (I have not used this) a plastic zip bag with water in it. This allows you to see what is happening on top without messing around with the product. Cover the whole affair with a cloth tied around the side or weighted down with small weights sewn on the edge to keep out dust and bugs and critters. My great great grandmothers trick for her famous pickles. And yep I was lucky enuf to actually live with great great grand ma when I was a kiddie and remember the pickles! I have been making fermented vegetables for about a year now and love them. I have been looking for a good kimchi recipe and cannot wait to try this one. I only plan to change the seasonings to get the flavor...I love the mix of green and purple cabbage because it looks so wonderful.

I already use seaweed but no salt. I am looking forward to see how this changes the flavor of the veggies. <br> <br>BTW...I was reading some of the posts, I make my fermented vegetables in sealed quart jars and keep my house between 70-72 degrees. I open the jars every day to release the gas and I let them ferment for 7 days...the only drawback is that many times the jars leak so I keep my jars in a cardboard box that I discard after they are done fermenting. I know that Sandor Katz had a salt-free sauerkraut recipe in his book, but don't recall whether there was a salt-free kimchi one. Worth looking into! No, all the Kimchi recipes in Katz require salt, however there are three salt free saurkraut versions using wine, savory seeds or seaweed however Katz advises that they are better made low salt rather than salt free if possible for better sour flavour and crunchiness. I did this and think the kimchee is very good. I'm very happy I ran across this recipe and instructions. I used hon dashi and I did not use seaweed.

I'm going to make a second batch and will try 1/2 hon dashi and 1/2 Pufina (Philippines) fish sauce and will use kelp. (I don't know why I mess with success.) <br> I was so excited about making kimchee, I promised most of the first batch out to three young people at my church. Two have Korean ancestry and one, Japanese. Wow, you'll have to get their opinions on it, and come back to share the results with us! Whether they have pure admiration or constructive criticism, I would like to cheer for you or also learn what can be done better. I wonder what someone more used to Tsukemono would think of kimchi? If you want to try Tsukemono (a simple Japanese pickle) feel free to check out my Instructable on that as well! Oops, sorry. Should have read up on your comments. I see, now, that you already discovered and posted the same info. What type of seaweed do you recommend buying and how would one put it in this recipe. Just chop it up??

Though I'm not new to eating seaweed, I am new to using it in my kitchen.<br><br>Blessings! No harm, no worries. Most people wouldn't read so far down the comments, so posting things new, is a good thing.<br><br>the seaweed I buy is dried, so I usually just break it into bits or cut it if it's a bit leathery. It's wonderful in kimchi, and it hardly matters which type. Just whatever type you enjoy eating.<br><br>I used to use Wakame primarily, sometimes some kombu too. You can use any. Wakame I break into &quot;twigs&quot; dry, and in it goes. <br><br>These days I prefer to buy a year's supply of local Maine seaweed at a time, from or else are good places to buy from, for anyone, especially if you live closer to Maine than to Japan, China, or Korea. <br><br>The local seaweed does taste a bit different or have a different texture, but it's good. Yum! I&nbsp;can't wait to try this. I am going to go shopping tonight to get everything!

I tried to make it once from a recipe in a book and well lets say it was not successful. I love Kim Chee and have yet to find a store brand that is as good as my brother in laws mothers homemade one (she is from Korea!). Thank you for the recipe! Hope it was the beginning of a happy journey without end! <br> Kudos to ALL of you for attempting to make this labor-intensive staple that even some Koreans shy away from making (myself included). For great (and entertaining--you'll see) video instructions on korean cooking (which includes kimchi), check out: /> <br /> I didn't mean any disrespect, however. Your comment was nice and supportive. And learning to make kimchi does feel like an art. Thank you for the video post, and I am deeply sorry whenever I hear that more people are losing touch with the fermented foods native to their culture...it's a worldwide problem that Sandor Katz attempts to address in his book. Happily, now through connectivity, people everywhere can learn and embrace not only their own, but any culture's fermented foods and pickles, which in natural state are healthy too. I&nbsp;have to disagree that it is labor-intensive.

The only labor is chopping, mixing salt and spices, and packing into a jar. That's less effort than would normally go into the making of one meal, and it makes a healthy delicious condiment and side dish to last through many meals, or many months, depending on use.<br /> Thanks for the kudos though!<br /> So...&nbsp; I've made a large batch of Kimchi, and saved a bit out in jars (the fresh stuff is great!).&nbsp; I used a large bucket with a fermentation lock...&nbsp; hopefully keeping out the O2 will help with consistency!<br /> <br /> Unfortunately, the large batch seems to be &quot;stuck&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp; It's been in 70F temps for over 48 hours, and not a single bubble!<br /> <br /> Any tips? I don't know, having never used a fermentation lock. The methods I am familiar with do not attempt to keep out air, just to keep out dust and flies. Then again, maybe someone familiar with the &quot;winter&quot; kimchi made by burying the jars (and presumably keeping out oxygen) could offer advice.&nbsp; Does it smell at all changed?

If not, could it be too much salt? That would prevent fermentation.<br /> Or, if there is enough salt to really slow things down, but not enough to halt them entirely, it might just take a bit. <br /> Alternatively, I do believe a really large batch may take longer to get started.<br /> <br /> I would give it a few more days and before figuring something is wrong, but tasting some each day should tell you what changes are taking place.<br /> <br /> Keep us posted on the progress, because maybe I&nbsp;too will have a new use for the beer brewing equipment in the basement, if this works out well!<br /> I've opened the bucket [negating the effects of a fermentation lock!

;P] and tasted the kimchee.&nbsp; It tastes good.&nbsp; Not too salty, but salty enough.<br /> <br /> I think you're right about the large batch, and perhaps I should just give it a bit of time.&nbsp; apparently, some sources say fermentation won't start for up to a week!&nbsp; <br /> <br /> The fermentation lock is supposed to stop molds from growing.&nbsp; Once the kimchi starts to &quot;work&quot;, the gasses are trapped in the bucket, and the whole thing becomes anaerobic...

so, no goo!<br /> <br /> On MANY people's recommendations (here and elsewhere) I&nbsp;bought a copy of Sandor's book.&nbsp; Kindle is handy when you wish to read.&nbsp;&nbsp; ;)<br /> <br /> Thanks so much for your quick reply.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'll report back w/ info on success, or failure.&nbsp; (failures are such useful learning tools!)<br /> <br /> Tedinski Well folks, it's been almost two weeks now, and still no bubbles from the fermentation lock...<br /> <br /> I opened up the kimchi expecting the worst -- horrible smells &amp; rotting veggies!&nbsp; Imagine my surprise when it smelled quite good, and looks about the same as when I put it all in the bucket.&nbsp; Very odd!<br /> <br /> The house changes temperatures a fair bit because I heat with wood, but its never dropped below 60, and usually (80%of the time) it's around 70 to 75.<br /> <br /> Is there such a thing as inorganic non-fermentable cabbage?&nbsp; Perhaps I've found a supplier of everlasting, never

-spoiling foodstuffs!&nbsp; :D<br /> <br /> So, I ask again...&nbsp; has anyone on this forum run into this before?&nbsp; It's really NOT&nbsp;too salty, and the bucket was washed out with non-chlorinated water (my water is supplied by a spring...&nbsp; very clean and NO&nbsp;chemicals).<br /> <br /> Is there something I&nbsp;can add to help start the ferment?&nbsp;&nbsp; Perhaps some whey?&nbsp;&nbsp; I've read on other forums that whey is great for getting kimchi started, but then again I've read that you should &quot;never use whey&quot; because it messes up the flavors.<br /> <br /> Totally confuddled,<br /> Tedinski You don't see bubbles.

From my own experience with &quot;Kim-Chee&quot; when first made and depends on taste it sits at room temperature - not winter temperature. <br>It has to be warm not cold in the room or the fermentation process will take weeks. 70 degrees or better. DO NOT SEAL IT IN A JAR; it will explode from the pressure. This is why you see massive Kim-Chee production in the spring and summer in Korea.<br>Also when you &quot;Brine&quot; the cabbage you will see an incredible shrinking of it.<br>Using the &quot;soup&quot; mix for your fish sauce adds allot more salt to the Kim-chee.<br>At any Asian Market Chinese ask for fish sauce in a bottle.

Be careful about using too much or if will be very &quot;fishy&quot;..<br>There also should be plenty &quot;Korean&quot; markets in any city and you can get Kim-Chee powder by the pound.<br>If you use allot of salt the Kim-chee will become rubbery quickly; you can use less for a more crunchy texture and less salt.<br>Kim-chee will change taste; it will become &quot;sour&quot;; it isn't spoiled just really sour. You them can use it as 'Kim-Chee Chi-gae&quot; kim-Chee soup.<br>Put it into a post boil it; add goodies like rice cake. &quot;You have to soak it first and also add a meat of you want or Mandoo to it.<br>Remember this; you can not sneak eat this stuff. When you open the reefer the whole neighbor hood will know and if you are going to work same thing. We here have a saying called - KimChee Breath. If you are going on a date; DON'T EAT IT, unless she has too LoL...<br> That was a great post and good advice about KimChee Breath.

Also a good test of compatibility for potential marriage: a KimChi lover can't marry a KimChi hater. It would be an unfair battle! Happily, my husband loves kimchi too, so we just make sure we both eat it at the same time. did you brine your cabbage properly? salting the cabbage is very important... even u have the best list of ingredients but you did'nt brine your cabbage properly your effort in making kimchi is useless... your cabbage will not get ferments and will easily get spoiled... Each family&rsquo;s kimchi has its own unique flavor, but the basic process is to salt the vegetable, firming it up by extracting its liquid, locking in the original flavor. You are going to pickle them with salt because you want to get as much liquid out from the cabbage as possible so cabbage should be limp and not crunchy before u rinse it... But don't worry, after you mixed it with the kimchi paste the cabbage will be crunchy as it gets ferments... I've never had this problem, but I wonder of your issue is that your not pressing the vegetables? This and a lot of other pickling recipes are dependent on the pressure to make it work.

I don't really know why or what all the pressing does except force the salt into the vegetables and press out their juice? have'nt a clue, but that might be your problem. if this was a vinegar brined the fermentation bucket would probably work. Thanks so much for this, I just started the fermentation of my first ever batch. I followed your directions exactly but added more garlic as I love garlic. Also I decided to Grade all of mine as I dont like Chunky. I also rinsed the veggies as it was a litte to salty for me. And thanks for the tip for weighting it down, I used a plastic bag filled with the brine to weigh it down. That looks so good! Sandor is wonderful when it comes to fermenting vegetables. I am gettin ghis book to learn more I make sauerkraut, and fermented veggies, much like kimchi <br>Thanks You won't be sorry, the book is amazing. Have you discovered and tried anything from it that you'd like to share about? Hello Megmaine!

<br><br>I have just been told about this amazing web site from a work colleague who is married to a Korean lady..........told him I missed kimchi (having lived in Korea for under a year in 1988!) &amp; he told me I could make it myself, and then gave me the link to you guys!<br><br>Okay so I am going to try it, hope that I can get all the ingredients as I live in St.Albans Uk!<br><br>Fingers crossed, and I will keep you posted.<br>Melo More Comments

Question: Kimchi, a fermented dish usually based on cabbage, radishes, green onions, or cucumber, is a staple of what country's food?
Answer: Korea