Due to COVID-19, I have been spending a lot of time at home eating and cooking, so I thought it would be appropriate to explore the history of kimchi 김치 for my last cultural post. Kimchi today is a staple in Korean cuisine and is made from salted and fermented vegetables, usually cabbage or radish. There are countless versions of it, but most will include chili powder or gochugaru 고춧가루, green onions, garlic, ginger and salted seafood. It is undoubtedly one of my favorite foods, although I guess it is really more of a side dish. When I am at school, I never get to have it, which is really different from when I am at home and I get to eat it everyday. I looked up a few articles highlighting the origin of kimchi and I was able to learn some new things!
The earliest dated record of kimchi goes back to the early period of the Three Kingdoms, which existed prior to the unification of the Korean peninsula. During this time, fermented foods were widely available, ranging from fish to wine to soybean paste. Because refrigerators were not available yet, it was also common to pickle vegetables and store a variety of foods with longer lifespans than if kept fresh. This was especially useful during the winter when it was difficult to find other sources of nourishment. The kimchi would be packed into traditional brown ceramic pots and buried underground to preserve it. I was really intrigued to learn that historical versions were not spicy, even though most kimchi today is. Chili peppers were apparently introduced to Korea in the early 17th century, but did not appear in kimchi recipes until the 19th century. Since kimchi existed before the split of the Korean peninsula, it is a food that is enjoyed by both North and South Koreans, although I am unable to comment on what kimchi is like in North Korea.
I also looked up a few recipes because my family members are always telling me that kimchi is actually really easy to make and that I should give it a shot. There are various different vegetables that you use to make the dish, but I decided to focus on the most popular version, which uses napa cabbage. First, chop up the cabbage into bite sized pieces. Next, soak the cabbage pieces in cold salt water for about 1.5 hours. Rinse and drain the cabbage and set aside. Now for the kimchi paste. This varies depending on how salty or spicy you like your kimchi but most recipes include the same seasoning. Mix together crushed garlic, minced onion, minced ginger, chili pepper flakes, and fish sauce or salted seafood. Then, mix in sliced green onions, chopped leeks, and julienned radish. The last step is to add in the cabbage and to put everything in an air-sealed container. You can enjoy it fresh or wait until it ferments. I personally like my kimchi really fresh but it always tastes good either way. Once it gets really sour, my family likes to either fry it or cook it in kimchi stew, or kimchi jjigae 김치찌개.
I grew up watching my family make kimchi and it is definitely something I want to try out soon since the recipe is pretty simple.
Comments
I've been having Kimchi my entire life and it is a food with history. It's really amazing how many types of kimchi there are. My mom makes Kimchi all the time and every time she makes Kimchi, she makes at least three types together. It's really a lot of work and a long process but it does last a while. It is commonly a family activity to make kimchi and it's pretty fun. I hope you can explore more Korean food!
I've been enjoying kimchi for so long without knowing the history, it's so interesting! That is pretty shocking it wasn't originally spicy because it's pretty much impossible to have non-spicy kimchi nowadays. I tried making kimchi a few years ago and it turned out so salty and not at all close to how it's supposed to taste. I think I need some proper instruction haha. But I recently made kimchi jjigae and it came out pretty well! It was super easy since I just bought pre-made kimchi. Keep cooking and trying new dishes!
Thanks for sharing this post Annabelle! It's really cool that you're using this time to learn more about the culture of Korea (and eating good food of course). I personally never made kimchi before, but I always try to assist my mom just so I can "taste-test" everything. I think it's interesting how even though there is a general way to make the side dish, there are so many varieties and everyone adds their own twist to it. I know I can detect right away who made it whether it's my mom or a family friend. Hope your batch turned out delicious!