KIMCHI

Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of cabbage with varied vegetables and seasonings.

Kimchi main ingredients are:

Chinese cabbage

White radish

Green onions

Ginger

Garlic

Hot peppers

These nutritious vegetables are mixed and allowed to ferment in order to create what we call kimchi. Kimchi is also an ingredient for many other dishes where pickled baby shrimp, oysters or salted fish sauce may be added. Several types of kimchi exists, including regional and seasonal variations. It is believed that the name kimchi originated from shimchae (salting of vegetable). The Korean people absolutely love this side dish with rice, which is well known for its spicy flavor. Some of the foods made with kimchi include: kimchi-jjigae (stew), kimchi-guk (soup), kimchi-jeon (a Korean-style pancake), and kimchi fried rice. These days kimchi has been incorporated into Western style foods such as hamburgers and pizza, which are loved by many.

As cabbage is basically a winter vegetable, the greatest varieties of kimchi were prepared during the early winter. November and December are traditionally when people begin to make kimchi; women often gather together in each others homes to help with winter kimchi preparations. Korean immigrants to China, Russia, Hawaii and Japan first introduced kimchi abroad, and have continued to eat kimchi as a side dish. It gradually gained popularity even among foreigners. Accordingly, kimchi may be found wherever Koreans live. In America packaged kimchi is easily available in major supermarkets. In the past, the production and consumption of kimchi was confined to Korean societies, however, in recent years it has become a globally recognized food.

Kimchi and Hot Red Pepper

As a kind of pickled vegetable, kimchi was born in Korea around the 7th century. Many years ago, kimchi was simply regarded as a salted vegetable. Early kimchi was made of cabbage and beef stock only. Red chili, a New World vegetable not found in Korea before European contact with the Americas, was introduced to Korea from Japan after the Hideyoshi Invasions (1592-1598) and became a staple ingredient in kimchi. Red chili pepper flakes are now used as a main ingredient for spice and a source of heat for many varieties of kimchi. This also accounts for the reddish color of kimchi. Kimchi as we know it today has retained the same qualities and cooking preparations that prevailed ever since it was first introduced centuries ago. Kimchi is a much more elaborate dish than European sauerkraut, which even today is basically fermented shredded cabbage with added salt. Most Europeans do not fancy adding red hot peppers into sauerkraut. At the beginning of the winter season a traditional Korean farm family would process one or two hundred cabbage heads for making kimchi. Kimchi was stored in the ground in large jars which were covered with a straw cushion and kept in a designated storage area. Nowadays, vegetables can be grown throughout the year in green houses so there is less need to process huge quantities of kimchi at one time. The storage is often accomplished in modern kimchi refrigerators that offer precise temperature controls. Such an appliance is designed specifically to meet storage requirements of various kimchi types, including temperature control and different fermentation processes. In consumer surveys aimed at Korean housewives, the kimchi refrigerator ranks first always on top of the list as the most wanted household appliance. They are also great for storing wine, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and other foods because these refrigerators are designed to offer a constant-temperature environment so that you can store foods fresh much longer than ordinary refrigerators. They can also be used as freezers.

Kimchi Benefits

Kimchi like its Western counterpart sauerkraut are probiotics. This is due to the presence of lactic acid bacteria that produce lactic acid. Resulting lactic acid in kimchi restrains the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines and helps relieve intestinal disorders. Kimchi is also credited for preventing adult diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and even gastrointestinal cancers. Juices from the vegetables and salt in kimchi help the intestines remain clean as well. Korea has been officially credited with preventing SARS disease. Recently, SARS influence has struck many places throughout Asia. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a serious form of pneumonia. It is caused by a virus that was first identified in 2003. Infection with the SARS virus causes acute respiratory distress (severe breathing difficulty) and sometimes death. Korea has managed to stay SARS-free and some are saying that the reason for this can be found in kimchi.

The Making of Kimchi

At the first glance, making Kimchi seems to be a very complicated process which is even compounded by the variety of materials that are used. On the other hand it is easier to come up with a Kimchi recipe, as there are so many of them as each region in Korea has its own. There are so many vegetables and ingredients that go into Kimchi, that it may be more correct to think of Kimchi as a Korean way of preparing vegetables and not as of a particular dish.

Some Kimchi are fermented for 2 weeks, some for 3 days, and some are consumed the moment they have been made. Some are thick and some are watery that look like a soup. Most Kimchis are made with Chinese cabbage, however, this is not set in stone and many are made without it. They can be made with white radish or turnip only. Filler materials vary as well, pickled baby shrimp, fresh shrimp, fresh oysters, squid, different types of mushrooms, Korean pear, seaweed, nuts, the list is endless. That offers a lot of freedom to a cook, who can let his imagination run wild, improvising and creating new Kimchis. However, certain ingredients such as garlic, ginger, scallions, and red pepper flakes or powder are nearly always added. However, there is a white kimchi, which does not include red peppers.

Kimchi can be made from 1/2 cabbage, 1/4 cabbage or the cabbage can be sliced across. Half cabbage is usually stuffed with filling and the leaves must be softened up first, which is accomplished by soaking the cabbage in brine.

The process of making whole cabbage Kimchi can be divided into a few phases:

Preparing cabbage and slicing materials.

Making coloring paste and painting vegetables.

Stuffing cabbage

1. Chinese cabbage is cut in a peculiar way. Discard any poor quality outer leaves and cut off as much of the root as possible. Save better leaves for later. Cut through the bottom of the cabbage to the half-way point, then split the head into separate halves. This cutting method preserves the texture of the internal leaves.

Most kimchis are consumed in a few days so the cabbage needs to be softened, what is accomplished by salting it and placing aside for one night. The following day the cabbage is rinsed well and the excess water is drained away. Another faster method is to immerse cabbage for 3-4 hours in a brine that is made by dissolving 3 cups of salt (864 g) in 4 quarts (~ 4 liters) of water. This makes 70∞ SAL (salometer reading) brine, which is quite strong. Making a weaker brine will increase the brining time and the cabbage will release too many valuable nutrients into the brine. The purpose of brining cabbage is to make it soft and pliable and not to make it salty. Salt will be added during mixing ingredients.

Immersing cabbage in brine.

Rinsing cabbage.

Draining water.

2. Korean red pepper powder is very mild comparing to fiercely hot cayenne peppers. You can add 0.75 ounce (21 g) to 1 kg (2.2 lb) of cabbage. Make paste by mixing red pepper powder with a small amount of water. You can soak pepper in the salted anchovy or shrimp juice, this will add an extra flavor. Coat white radish strips with red pepper paste, then add all other vegetables, salt and ingredients such as shrimp or oysters. Mix everything together. This is the stuffing.

Making red pepper paste.

Radishes are usually cut into 2-inch long thin julienne strips.

Coating radishes.

Mixing all together.

3. The cabbage is ready for stuffing. The filling is evenly placed between each leaf of cabbage. In order to keep all of the filling securely in the cabbage, the entire cabbage is wrapped with an outermost leaf and allowed to ferment for about 3-7 days.

While holding back the leaves, place the filling between the leaves.

Wrap the middle of the cabbage with the outer leaves. This protects the stuffing from falling out.

Stuffed cabbages.

Stack stuffed cabbages in a suitable container. Try to avoid any large pockets of air. Salt the outer leaves which were removed earlier and cover the stuffed cabbage. Add any residual juice and brine that may remain over. Press hard on cabbages to release any trapped air, sprinkle salt over the cabbage leaves and place a weight on top. Napa cabbage is a great juice producer so the next day the cabbage should be immersed in brine.

Stuffed cabbages in a glass jar, 24 hours later. Note the amount of brine.