If you are a lover of Korean dramas, you’ve undoubtedly seen the characters eating kimchi on different occasions. Most of the time, they’re hauling it in containers as one of the side dishes to deliver to their loved ones. Now that I think of it, I don’t think I’ve actually seen a drama where kimchi is being sold in a restaurant. You can easily find the characters eating ramyeon, kimbap, tteokbokki, beef or samgyetang in restaurants but not kimchi. Just as if everyone loves homemade kimchi.
Kimchi is a traditional Korean food that has become a staple in Korean households. They’re made from fermented vegetables, which are usually cabbage or radish. Back in ancient Korea, this method was used to preserve vegetables during harsh weather. Having homemade kimchi has its benefits. It contains probiotics, vitamins and minerals. Also, you’ll have the luxury of controlling the spiciness of the kimchi if they’re made at home. In this article, we’re going to be looking at the steps in making kimchi.
Ingredients For Making Kimchi
- Cabbage: This is the real deal in this meal. It’s what makes the meal what it is, and adds to its crunchiness.
- Salt: Adds taste to the meal and soften the fermentation process
- Korean chili flakes: This is also known as gochugaru, it adds a spicy taste to the food. Because of its peculiar taste, gochugaru is the ideal chili flakes for this meal. However, you can use other types of chili flakes for this meal.
- Fish sauce or shrimp paste: Adds a savory taste to the meal.
- Ginger and garlic: Adds to the aromatic smell of the meal.
- Sugar: Adds a little bit of sweetness to the mix.
- Scallions: These are optional if you want an onion-like flavor in your meal.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Get a whole cabbage and cut it into halves, then cut them up into quarters. The next thing is to go in with a generous amount of salt and apply that to the cabbage or radish leaves. Let it sit for a few hours to wilt and release the water. Afterwards, rinse the cabbage thoroughly to remove the excess salt.
Step 2: After the cabbage has been rinsed, it’s now time to make the kimchi paste. However, you can make the kimchi paste before or during the cabbage preparation. To make this special paste, you’ll have to combine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) or whatever chili flakes you have, fish sauce or shrimp paste, garlic, sugar, ginger, and water to give the paste the perfect consistency.
You can add scallions or any other ingredients that you’d like to enhance the food’s taste.
Pro tip: Add a good amount of gochugaru to enhance the spiciness of the food.
Step 3: The next big thing to do is mix the paste and the already rinsed cabbages or radishes. For this part, you’d want to wear some type of kitchen friendly hand gloves that can be disposable or not. Then you mix thoroughly until the paste has successfully coated all the cabbage leaves.
Pack the mixture into an airtight container but don’t fill the container to the brim. This space is specifically for the gas that will be produced during the fermentation process. This space will allow the gas to expand without bursting the container or overflowing. After putting the mixture in a container, let the kimchi ferment for about 1 to 5 days. Right after fermentation, transfer the kimchi to the refrigerator for further preservation.
Tips and Variations
During fermentation, don’t just allow the kimchi to stay straight for 5 days. Always check on the kimchi daily to allow the gas buildup to escape. Not only scallions can be used to spice up your kimchi texture, you can use carrots as well. Also make sure your kimchi is stored in a nonreactive container to avoid flavor change. You can use containers made of glass or food-grade plastic. While any container made from metal shouldn’t be used to store kimchi.
Conclusion
Kimchi is a traditional Korean food that has become a staple in Korean households. They’re made from fermented vegetables, which are usually cabbage or radish. Fish sauce or shrimp paste, garlic, sugar, ginger, and water are the remaining ingredients used for this meal. After mixing the cabbage leaves with the paste, store in a nonreactive airtight container. Finally, during fermentation don’t just allow the kimchi to stay straight for 5 days. Always check on the kimchi daily to allow the gas buildup to escape.
