The Art of Making Kimchi

Spiced and pickled kimchi

The national dish of Korea, kimchi is basically spiced, pickled and fermented cabbage although the recipe and ingredients can vary from region to region in Korea. The main ingredients of the dish however are cabbage, cucumber, radish and scallion.

Fermented vegetables used to make kimchi came about in the 7^th century when kimchi was fermented as a way to store vegetables. By the 12^th century, kimchi was developed into a tastier dish where spices and herbs were added to enhance the flavours. Then finally in the 18^th century hot red peppers were added to kimchi to give it its spicy and distinctive taste still used today.

In modern times, kimchi has been introduced more widely into the world by Korean immigrants who have shared this dish with other cultures where it has become a popular side dish. It has even become a more commercial dish in recent years and it can be found in supermarkets usually in Western countries where there are larger populations of Korean immigrants.

Kimchi Health Benefits

• Practically eaten at every meal, Koreans have given the world a fantastically healthy dish to have either on its own or as a side dish.
• A great source of vitamin C, kimchi can help reduce cholesterol levels and slow the effects of aging!
• It has a low calorie content and is very low in sugar and fat which makes it a great dish to eat if you are aiming to lose weight.
• The fermentation process the kimchi goes through means that probiotic (“good”) bacteria is produced which helps the digestive system.
• Kimchi is packed full of vitamin A which is great for healthy, skin, teeth, and also helps improve vision!

Easy Kimchi Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large Chinese Cabbages
• 230g rock salt
• Water

Kimchi Sauce:

• 10 tbsp of fish sauce
• 10 tbsp of red pepper powder
• 1 onion
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 oriental pear
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
• Small piece of ginger
• 4 spring onions

1. Cut the cabbage into chunks and soak in water with 180g salt. Leave to soak for up to 5 hours.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients in a blender except the spring onions. These can be chopped into chunks and added to the sauce after it is properly blended.
3. Drain the cabbage and add the kimchi sauce, mix it by hand then add salt to taste. It should have a fairly salty flavour.
4. Store your kimchi in jars in the refrigerator for a week at which point it will be ready to eat.

As you can see, kimchi is very easy to prepare and also doesn’t take long – just be aware that you need to plan a week in advance if you want to serve it for dinner as the flavors need time to soak into one another to ensure the best possible taste for this great Korean dish! Find more kimchi recipes on Recipebridge.