When I’m asked for my favorite Korean food, I never include Kimchi. This Korean delicasse can be made throughout the year, while ‘Kimjang’, the Kimchi making event takes place at the end of every fall season, only once a year. For Kimjang, every household purchases twenty or more heads of Napa cabbage and makes Kimchi.

This tradition provides vegetables throughout the winter months when there are no others available. It is believed that Koreans have been eating Kimchi for over a thousand years. This essential food item in Korean cuisine makes it to the dining table for all three meals, yes, you read it right — breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, it is the favorite food of almost all Korean people. However, not me.

Unlike most other Koreans, I don’t need to have Kimchi every day. Though I usually keep a jar of it in my refrigerator, it rarely makes to my dining table unless I have guests over. This changed when I moved to Philadelphia. For the first several days, I hadn’t had any Korean food and everything was new to me. I managed to drive out to Upper Darby, PA and found a Korean roll restaurant. Interestingly enough, the roll I ate contained Kimchi as an ingredient instead of Bulgogi (barbecued meat). It was a taste of home. It immediately warmed my heart. This was a very interesting experience for me because I rarely consume Kimchi, but I started to realize that I am Korean and cannot live without it.

When I was young, my grandmother would make a big batch of Kimchi and would distribute it among her very busy daughters. My mother started to make Kimchi at home after my grandmother passed away. Although my sister and I were expected to stay away from the kitchen while my mom, aunts, and their friends made Kimchi, it was always fun to taste the cabbage during the process. The cabbage had to be taste tested after it was brined for twenty-four hours to decide whether it was ready for the next step, judging the saltiness of the cabbage and water content from the texture. Individual ingredients such as fermented fish and pepper powders were used and tasted to determind the recipe for the spice mixture. Then, the spice mixture was applied between the cabbage leaves, completing the Kimchi. Often my sister and I were invited to taste, especially when the process was near the end. My mother would split one cabbage leaf lengthwise and roll it so it was bite sized and then put it in my mouth. Water and sweetness from the cabbage and red pepper powder would fill my mouth. Then the salt and spice, garlic and ginger flavors would hit. Then, I always needed to drink water. Though my mouth was sparkling from the spiciness, I was always drawn back to the kitchen for more and to pretend as if I were one of the grown-ups.

At the time, we were living in a house with a small garden. My father was in charge of finding a space under the tree and to dig holes big enough to bury the Kimchi jars. Burying the jars of Kimchi kept the temperature constant, so it fermented steadily and would not freeze. Nowadays, a dedicated Kimchi refrigerator is available for the appropriate storage.

The process of making Kimchi takes time. The day before Kimjang, Napa cabbages are purchased and cleaned. They are then cut into 2 or 4 pieces lengthwise, depending on the size of the cabbage.  Sea salt is applied between the leaves and salt water is poured over the cabbages. A weight is put on the cabbage to keep it immersed in the brine and to provide extra pressure. The cabbages are left in the salt brine over night. The salt eliminates microorganisms that would cause spoilage but retains beneficial lactic acid bacteria. Water is also withdrawn from the cabbage because of the osmotic pressure of the brine. After the 24 hours, the salted cabbages are rinsed and drained. Spice mixture is prepared with red pepper powder, minced garlic, minced ginger, scallion, and fermented fish sauce. The ingredients vary among regions, family recipe, and personal taste. Then, the spice mixture is applied between the cabbage leaves. One or two large outer leaves are used to wrap each piece. This is done to keep the spice in close contact, also to keep air away for easier handling. Finished pieces are then packed neatly in containers. During storage salt withdraws more water from the cabbage preventing contact of cabbage and air. Kimchi is often stored at just above freezing, providing good environment for fermentation. As the lactic acid and other acids develop, fermented Kimchi will have a spicy, sour, and sweet flavor as well as tingling sensation from natural carbonation. Kimchi can be made with vegetables other than Napa cabbage, such as cucumber, sesame leaves, radish, scallion, mustard leaves, and chive.

Kimchi was selected as the healthiest foods in the world along with soy foods from Japan, lentils from India, olive oil from Spain, and yogurt from Greece (Raymond 2008). Kimchi has been reported to have various health benefits such as anticancer (Han and others 2009), anti-stress (Lee and Lee 2009), and weight loss (Choi and others 2002) to name a few. Anecdotally it has been said that during the outbreak in 2003 in Asia of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), not a single Korean was affected and some suggested that it was because Koreans consume large amounts of Kimchi.

Although I am not a big fan of Kimchi, I am proud of the science behind the fermentation and its potential health benefits. Try Kimchi. You may not like it at first, but it will grow on you. Also, Kimchi will keep you warm during this cold weather in Philadelphia – it warms you from inside. Whenever I have a cold, I cook Kimchi stew, because it warms my heart and body (See recipe).

And say, Kimchi, instead of ‘cheese’ when you take a picture! That’s what we do!