Kimchi
My mom making chonggak kimchi. June 3, 2012. Photo by Sarah Huh.
Spice of Family
by Sarah Huh
What is your weapon of choice? In my household, kimchi would be the fitting decision. Imagine the horror: spicy chili flakes launching an attack on your ear or the unforgettable scarlet badge of dishonor splashed across your favorite shirt. This exact fate befell actor Won Ki Joon, who learned the hard way not to cross his mother-in-law in the drama series, Penthouse (Conran). His misstep? A bold dance with disrespect that earned him a kimchi slap heard around the internet. Suddenly, kimchi wasn’t just a side dish; it was a viral sensation, a symbol of spicy, fermented justice (MBCDrama). This viral moment paves the way to explore its legacy, bridging humor with deep cultural importance.
Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish, has been a staple since the 3rd century A.D., as the average consumption equates to about 80 pounds per year (Yang et al.). Kimchi owes its popularity largely to its probiotic-rich makeup, which promotes gut health. Additionally, it is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers, and bioactive compounds. The health benefits of kimchi, such as anticancer, antioxidative, and antiobesity properties, are primarily due to the lactic acid bacteria that play a crucial role in its fermentation process (Surya et al.). “Thus, eating kimchi is a good way to include more vegetables and probiotics in the diet to improve health” (Park et al.).Even the making of kimchi in a community during the winter, called kimjang, has been noted as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Its preparation and consumption, deeply rooted in ancient philosophies such as yin and yang and the five elements, highlights a balance between health, nature, and culinary artistry (Surya et al.). Kimjang showcases the spirit of sharing and cultural heritage illuminating kimchi’s multifaceted role in Korean tradition.
Korean Restaurant in Ann Arbor that serves kimchi for free: Rich JC. March 29, 2024. Photo by Sarah Huh.
Kimchi served as a side dish at KPOT in Novi, MI. March 30, 2024. Photo by Sarah Huh.
Kimchi has woven itself into the fabric of my identity and the shared tapestry of my family’s culture. From my earliest days, the presence of kimchi on our dining table has been constant, a tradition as familiar as the setting sun. Yet, it was not the taste of kimchi that captured my heart, but the ritual that brought it to life. Each October, my mother would beckon us to the kitchen, signaling the start of our cherished tradition. With practiced hands, she would slice through cabbages with a rhythm that felt like a dance, their crisp leaves tumbling into a large, silver bowl that seemed almost ceremonial. This was the point where my siblings and I would join in, salting the cabbage with a care that felt like nurturing. We work in tandem, rinsing and draining the leaves, then setting them aside with an anticipation that fills the room, tangibly altering the space with our shared expectation.
The wait was a pause in time, an interlude filled with the sounds of laughter and the soft flow of our favorite movie, Incredibles, illuminating our faces. These moments, simple yet profound, are the threads of connection and joy woven through the fabric of our family life.
As the cabbage rested, our kitchen fell smoothly under my mother’s control. The addition of scallions and radish, the vibrant sprinkle of gochugaru, and the pour of mysterious, magical liquids melded into a concoction of love and tradition. My mother, with a wisdom that seemed as deep and intuitive as the roots of our heritage, worked without a recipe, guided only by sight and “feel.” This, to me, was the magic of our kimchi - not just a dish, but a testament to the instinctual bond and heritage that flowed through us.
In this way, kimchi became more than a staple on our table; it became a symbol of my identity and the intricate dance of my family’s culture. The tapestry of its creation - the crispness of fresh cabbage, the earthy spice of gochugaru, the laughter and light that filled our kitchen - these are the elements that have infused kimchi into the core of who I am. Through the ritual of its making, I’ve come to understand the depth of connection, tradition, and love that feeds the soul.
Works Cited
Conran, Pierce. “What’s in a Kimchi Slap? The Addictive World of Makjang K-Dramas.” South China Morning Post, 2 Jan. 2021, www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-drama/article/3116092/why-k-drama-penthouse-so-addictive-kimchi-slap-strangling.
MBCDrama. “[Hot] Episode 60- ‘Mother and Daughter Are Equally Ignorant!’ Donjun Spoke out Rudely 20140721.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 July 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xflOya8d3AU.
Park, Kun-Young, Jeong, Ji-Kang, Lee, Young-Eun, Daily, James W. “Health Benefits of Kimchi (Korean Fermented Vegetables) as a Probiotic Food.” Journal of Medicinal Food, vol. 17, no. 1, United States: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, 2014, pp. 6–20, doi:10.1089/jmf.2013.3083.
Surya, Reggie, and Anne Ga-Yeon Lee. “Exploring the Philosophical Values of Kimchi and Kimjang Culture.” Journal of Ethnic Foods, SpringerLink, BioMed Central, 20 June 2022, link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42779-022-00136-5.
Yang, Hey-Jeong, et al. “Origin Names of Gochu, Kimchi, and Bibimbap.” Journal of Ethnic Foods, Elsevier, 1 Dec. 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618115000670#:~:text=In%20other%20words%2C%20the%20books,later%20in%20time%20%5B19%5D.