Korean Food:

Kimchi
This side dish of fermented vegetables continues to
be an essential part of any Korean meal. Early
kimchi dishes were relatively mild, spiced with
fermented anchovies, ginger, garlic, and green
onions. Koreans still use these ingredients today, but
the spice most closely associated with modern kimchi
is red pepper powder. Korea boasts more than two
hundred types of kimchi, all rich in vitamins,
minerals, and proteins created by the lactic acid
fermentation of cabbage, radish, and other vegetables
and seafood.
The kimchi served at a meal will vary according to
region, season, and may differ according to the other dishes on the menu. A seaside region's
kimchi will be saltier than that of a landlocked area, and summer cooks produce cooling water
kimchis to contrast with the heartier cabbage kimchis of the autumn and winter. And a delicate
cucumber kimchi sits better beside a bland noodle dish than beside a robust beef stew. To
understand kimchi at its simplest, think of it is as divided into two kinds: seasonal kimchi (for
short-term storage, made from vegetables that are fresh in the markets at any given time) and
Kimjang kimchi (for long-term storage, made in quantity in late autumn).

1. Baechu Kimchi (Whole Cabbage Kimchi)

This is the most common, classic kimchi
you will find at a Korean meal. Whole heads
of cabbage are trimmed to remove
discolored outer leaves and
then split longways into two
or four sections. These
sections are soaked in brine
for three or four hours until
they have softened (during
the summer and winter for
about 12 hours.)
While this is going on, the other ingredients
are assembled and mixed together. (Ground
pepper powder, chopped garlic and ginger,
pickled baby shrimp -or other sea food
pickled such as anchovies and other fishes
as a form of row fish cut in bitable size,
sponge seaweed- and oysters can be added
depending taste and family
recipes.)
When they are mixed and the
cabbage is ready. For common
baech'u kimchi the softened
cabbages are cut in to bitable size
and mix with other ingredients. For
Tongbaechu kimchi, handfuls of
the stuffing are then pushed and spread
between the leaves of the cabbage until it is
all used. The outer leaves of the cabbage are
wrapped round whole to form a solid
bundle, which is then stored in a crock
2. Baek Kimchi (White Cabbage Kimchi)
Paek kimchi originaly came from North
Korea where less salt and red pepper are
used in cooking. (Cabbages are soaked in
brine until they have softened and are
seasoned using ginger, garlic strips, and red
pepper threads instead of red pepper powder.
3. Bossam Kimchi (Rolled Kimchi)
If you get a taste of this dish, you should
count yourself very lucky. It requires a very
wide variety of ingredients. Also, it was
common around Seoul areas in the past
rather southern part of South Korea.
Traditional kimchi greens and forest
mushrooms are spiced with salted fish and
shellfish such as oysters and octopus. Fruits
such as Korean pear and chestnuts are
4. Chonggak Kimchi (Ponytail Kimchi)
This is another kimchi made from small
ponytail radishes that lovers of fiery food
covered with salted leaves and pressed down
firmly.
The materials used for stuffing vary
according to personal taste. It can combine
radishes, mushrooms, Korean pears,
chestnuts, and dates with watercress greens
and mustard leaves, and even little bit of
pepper powder.)
added. The whole mixture is garnished with
pine nuts, chopped chestnuts, jujubes and
red pepper threads and wrapped in softened
outer cabbage leaves. (More ingredients
such as other types of raw fishes and fruits
can be added according to personal and
family taste. This labor-intensive kimchi is a
luxurious festive dish.)
will enjoy. Garlic, ginger, and pickled baby
shrimp mixed with red pepper powder are
added to the radishes. Chonggak Kimchi can
be ready after being left for only a few days.

5. Dong Chimi (Winter White Water Kimchi)

The major ingredients of this kimchi are fist-
sized Korean pony tail radishes (soaked in
brine) and green chili peppers (soaked for
about two weeks until they have a very
slightly brownish appearance), which are
added to water. Mustard leaves and green
onions are often soaked with the radishes to
soften them. Each of the soaked ingredients
is folded into separate small bundles. The
final dish is assembled in a storage jar with
layers of radishes alternating with layers of
greens and layers of chili peppers with
thinly sliced garlic and ginger. The final
kimchi is covered with brine and stored.

6. Ggakdugi (Chopped Radish Kimchi)

This kimchi dish is made red color. Garlic, ginger, and pickled baby
from cubes of Korean radishes that are shrimp can be added for additional
parboiled then coated with very fine seasonings in some recipes.
redpepper powder which gives them deep

7. NaBak kimchi (Red Water Kimchi)

This is the most highly prized of the water
kimchis. It can be enjoyed year around these
days, although in the past it was popular in
the spring after Koreans had finished eating
the winter Kimjang kimchi. It has an elegant
appearance created by the cutting of the
radish into slender bite sized pieces of just
over an inch square and with other colorful
ingredients such as cabbage, green onions,
8. Yeolmumul Kimchi (Summer Green Water Kimchi)
If you have a meal during the steamy
Korean summer, you will
be grateful for this juicy
water kimchi. Young
summer radishes are the
key ingredients. They are
watercress, red chili peppers, garlic, and
ginger. The word nabak indicates the special
cutting technique Korean cooks use to create
these squares. The word, by association, also
has the connotation of something crunchy
and crisp. The completed mixture is
garnished with a fine amount of red pepper
brine sprinkled over it before storage.
blended with green chili peppers, red chili
peppers, and garlic. A kimchi sauce (made of
flour or sticky rice mixed with warm water)
is poured over the mixture. More water is
added and the vegetables are mixed before
storing.