Korean Culture: Kimchi! ^__^

Hobbes

Kimchi is Koreans main dish. I personally think Koreans could live longer without water then they could without kimchi.

There are many kinds of Kimchi, but Cabbage Kimchi (bae-chu kimchi) is the most popular.

Frany has been good enough to supply some pictures of her kimchi she made yesterday. I will try to explain how it was made...

Picture: [url=https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/160/12441.jpg[/url]
Some ingredients.
- Minced Garlics (3)
- Chopped Spring Onions (12)
- Chopped into smalls strips White Radish (1)
- Rice soup.

The rice soup is made from three cups of cold water and one cup of rice powder. Or if you don't have rice powder you can use flour (not as nice). You mix and boil until it is like a paste (so keep stirring) then take off the heat.

Picture: [url=https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/160/12442.jpg[/url]
You also need Chinese cabbages. There are three here. You divide each cabbage into 2 pieces or 4 pieces (depending on preference).

Wash them in cold water then sprinkle each leaf with salt (sea salt). Do not use normal table salt! Also make sure you only put salt on the thick parts of the leaves not the green part!

Leave for at least 3 hours. Then turn them over and leave them for 3 hours more. The white part of the cabbage should be really soft when ready.

Picture: [url=https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/160/12443.jpg[/url]
You mix the Garlic, Radish, Korean Pepper Powder (9 tablespoons), Korean fish sauce (2 table spoons) and spring onions, some sugar (2 table spoons), then add the rice soup and mix.

Taste once, and if it is not salty then add some more fish sauce, too salty add a little bit of sugar.

Once it is mixed you take a cabbage piece and mix it (dont break) and stuff the leaves with the mix. Not too much but enough.

Picture: [url=https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/160/12444.jpg[/url]
You place each leaf you stuff into a box. Close but do not seal the box and leave to stand for at least 2 days in a cold place like a back kitchen (If your korean and think you are going to die from lack of kimchi, then at least one night is ok ). Then put it is in the fridge. You can eat it from this time.

.... It takes an expert to make the stuff.

Drapper

Fantastic stuff, cant live without it! Althought hard to take in the begining it eat it with everything nowadays !!!

And I'm not even KOrean !!!

keeaumoku_tofu

When my mom was visiting we made some and instead of putting it in the fridge to ferment we left it outside. (It was winter.) The dog peed on it. Talk about your bad omens or good taste.

The only place I've found that sells it is that Asian market on Abbey Street across from Jervis Center. The Korean restaurant on Parnell sells it but if I remember correctly it's dear.

Hobbes

You can buy it in the Korean Supermarket which is at the back of moore street (see resources link). They sell it tinned, plastic package (various kinds which are good) and occasionally hand made.

Pretty expensive though compared to making it yourself.

Drapper

Kim Chi is the business !!

Every tried a Kim Chi on PIZZA? Korena Italian Fuzion !! lamao

40crush41

ah! so excited!
I might be bold enough to try to make this. Korean food is high up on my list of favorite foods, its an experience when you have this stuff.
My personal favorite kimchi is radish kind.. I feel inspired to look up a recipe now.
Gomahwoh kk
anyong

40crush41

hah Drapper,
I suggested to my Korean friend when she returned home to introduce Kimchi pizza.
She wasn't too keen about the idea. "Koreans go crazy only for healthy things"
..I'd like to try it.

frany

40crush41 wrote: »

hah Drapper,
I suggested to my Korean friend when she returned home to introduce Kimchi pizza.
She wasn't too keen about the idea. "Koreans go crazy only for healthy things"
..I'd like to try it.

Yeah sometimes, they go too crazy with healthy food ONLY.
But they are also alcohol lovers too.;)

ruahead

I personally think Kimchi is very garlicy and too much to eat at breakfast and lunch. I like it fried though when eating samgyupsal (pork fry korean dish) or bulgogi. Its much more delicious that way to me.
According to Koreans Kimchi cures Cancer! Research proved this, don't try to argue. Very very patriotic country, which is good sometimes but I found it was in a we are better and superior race kinda way.

coderMofo

Sorry to go off topic slightly, but does anyone know where you can get yellow pickled radish like the ones that go in kimbaps. I'm in Galway.

Numena

I think you mean Danmuji. I haven't seen it being sold, even in Dublin, but maybe you could ask Hansung, the Korean store near the Quays. They have a Q&A page on their hansungfoods dot com page (sorry I can't post urls yet)

Otherwise, Maangchi, a famous KOrean Youtube cook, has a great recipe for homemade Danmuji. Google Danmuji recipe maangchi and you'll find it.

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