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| Kimchi |
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 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).
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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 covered with salted leaves
and pressed down firmly. |
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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. 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.) |
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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 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.) |
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Chonggak Kimchi (Ponytail
Kimchi) |
This is another kimchi made from small ponytail radishes that
lovers of fiery food 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.
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| 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.
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Ggakdugi (Chopped Radish
Kimchi) |
This kimchi dish is made from cubes of Korean radishes that are
parboiled then coated with very fine redpepper powder which gives them
deep red color. Garlic, ginger, and pickled baby shrimp can be added for
additional seasonings in some recipes. |
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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,
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.
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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 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. |
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