What is Kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean vegetable side dish. It is also spelled gimchi and kimchee. Kimchi is known as a banchan, or side dish in Korea. It is common, in Korean cuisine, to have many banchan served alongside a meal. Main courses may be accompanied by up to a dozen such side dishes. Kimchi, however, if the most popular of the lot.
Kimchi is made by fermenting seasoned cabbage and other vegetables. In addition to being served as a side dish, kimchi is also served with rice. Furthermore, kimchi is sometimes used as an ingredient in dishes such as kimchi jjigae (a kind of stew) and kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice).
Because it has a very pleasing flavor and is also quite healthy, kimchi has recently gained popularity around the world. Although its popularity is growing and the dish is now served in many places outside of Japan, kimchi has been a part of Asian culinary history for a very long time. In fact, there is a reference to kimchi in the oldest book of Chinese poetry known to modern man. Such references to kimchi have lead historians to believe that Asian peoples were consuming the dish as long as 3,000 years ago.
It is believed that the earliest forms of kimchi were simply salted vegetables, and that it was not until the 12th century that people began to incorporate spices and other flavors into the dish. Kimchi underwent another a dramatic change in the 17th century when chili peppers were introduced to Korea. Kimchi made it chili peppers is now the most popular form of kimchi served the world over.
Napa cabbage is generally the main ingredient in kimchi, and the dish is usually fermented in brine with garlic, scallions, and ground pepper. However, there are many variations including other vegetables and spices. Other forms of kimchi offer different kinds of flavors. As vegetables are a seasonal food, the many forms of kimchi were developed based on what was in season and on hand.
Kimchi has been so important in Korean cuisine that there is an entire museum dedicated to it. The Kimchi Field Museum is located in Seoul. Historians at the museum have documented nearly 200 distinct forms of kimchi. In fact, there are some forms of kimchi that include seafood and resemble the Latin American dish ceviche. Source: Kimchi
Making Kimchi is an exercise in generating good energy and putting into your food. We used to make Kimchi when we we're in Korea...that sweet, spicy, salty and crunchy taste haunted me every time I see Korean store here in the U.S., like for today, after we went shopping we stopped by to one Korean store by our house and grab a jar of Kimchi, yumm!
Use kimchi as a side dish with any meal, have it with rice, or put it between two slices of toast and make a sandwich. Its great for you, however you eat it. Anyways, here's the recipe from my korean friend that I just wanna share to you guys:)
"Kimchi"
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Water
2 heads Napa cabbage, cut into quarters or 2-inch wedges, depending on size of cabbage
1 bulb garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 (2-inch) piece of ginger root
1/4 cup fish sauce or Korean salted shrimp
1 Asian radish, peeled and grated
1 bunch of green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup Korean chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
PREPARATION:
1. Dissolve 1 cup salt in 1/2 gallon water. Soak cabbage in the salt water for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Combine garlic, ginger, and fish sauce or shrimp in food processor or blender until finely minced.
3. In large bowl, combine radish, green onions, mustard greens, garlic mixture, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and optional sugar. Toss gently but thoroughly. (If mixing with your hands, be sure to wear rubber gloves to avoid chili burn.)
4. Remove cabbage from water and rinse thoroughly. Drain cabbage in colander, squeezing as much water from the leaves as possible. Take cabbage and stuff radish mixture between leaves, working from outside in, starting with largest leaf to smallest. Do not overstuff, but make sure radish mixture adequately fills leaves. When entire cabbage is stuffed, take one of the larger leaves and wrap tightly around the rest of the cabbage. Divide cabbage among 4 (1-quart) jars or 1-gallon jar, pressing down firmly to remove any air bubbles.
5. Let sit for 2 to 3 days in a cool place before serving. Remove kimchi from jar and slice into 1-inch-length pieces. If serving before kimchi is fermented, sprinkle with a little bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds. Refrigerate after opening.
Note:
Kimchi will be good enough to eat straight for up to about 3 weeks. After about 4 weeks, once the kimchi gets too fermented to eat by itself, use it to make hot pots, flatcakes, dumplings, or just plain fried rice.
"Mat-itkae duseyo!"- thats korean for "Enjoy your food!"
Did you know? Using kimchi juice--heat up some rice, pour in some kimchi juice, add some extra sesame oil and seeds and voila! A meal to clear out your sinuses and arteries.
