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Comparing Kimchee: Kochukaru or Guchujang?

both

Last month I made kimchee using guchujang. I was surprised by how good it tasted and wanted to compare it to kimchee made the traditional way. I made up two batches simultaneously, following my traditional kimchee recipe. The only difference being that one was made with two tablespoons of kochukaru; the other with two tablespoons of guchujang.

After mixing the wilted cabbage with the other ingredients it was immediately obvious that the guchujang kimchee contained more liquid. The one made with kochukaru was much drier, but also a more vibrant colour.

The photos below were taken just a few minutes after compressing the mixtures into a fermentation jar:

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Kimchee made with guchujang
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Kimchee made with kochukaru

After three weeks I removed the kimchees from their fermentation jars and compared them.

They smelt and tasted almost identical – in a blind taste test I failed to tell them apart. The only difference was their appearance. The Kimchee made with guchujang was much paler, with a almost uniform dull orange colour. The kimchee made with kochukaru was a visual delight! The bright red against the green of the cabbage made it look much more appealing.

Kimchee made with guchujang
Kimchee made with guchujang
Kimchee made with kochukaru
Kimchee made with kochukaru

Conclusion

If you’re simply after great tasting kimchee it doesn’t matter which recipe you follow, but if you’d like the finished dish to look as good as it tastes I recommend preparing it with kochukaru.

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Making Kimchee with Gochujang

Guchujang

Guchujang is a spicy paste used in a variety of Korean dishes. I’m sure that no Korean would use it to make kimchee, but they have easy access to kochukaru and when I ran out of these traditional pepper flakes I decided to experiment with gochujang, rather than go without kimchee.

I followed my traditional kimchee recipe, simply substituting 2 tbl sp of the red pepper flakes for 2 tbl sp gochujang.

Result: The kimchee tasted just as delicious as usual!

g1a

 

I would definitely make kimchee again this way.

Edit: I decided to compare this kimchee with one made the traditional way. See the results here!

 

 

 

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Making Kimchee: A Step-by-Step Guide

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I first tasted kimchee when I visited South Korea eight years ago. I have to admit that I found it slightly too spicy back then and only ate tiny portions mixed with plenty of plain rice. Over time I’ve grown to love it and can now devour whole bowls of the stuff without needing anything to temper the spice – it’s the perfect healthy snack!

There are many different ways to make it, but as kimchee is a robust food it is hard to go wrong – just mix salted cabbage with Korean red pepper flakes and any other spices you fancy and within a few days you’ll have a delicious side dish. I vary my recipe depending on what I have available, but here is the one I tend to use most:

Ingredients:

  • 1 Chinese cabbage
  • 4 tbl sp sea salt
  • 2  litres bottled water
  • 1 tbl sp chopped garlic
  • 1 tbl sp chopped ginger
  • 1 tbl sp fish sauce
  • 2 tbl sp chopped spring onion
  • 2 tbl sp coarse Korean red pepper flakes (kochukaru)
  • 3 tbl sp chopped daikon radish
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste
  • 1 tsp white sugar

Method:

1. In a large plastic or glass container dissolve the salt in the water.

Note: It is important to use sea salt or rock salt as they do not contain anti-caking agents which hinder fermentation. Tap water contains chlorine which also kills the bacteria needed for fermentation. Check that the bottled water you choose is free from chlorine.

salt

2. Chop the cabbage into 2cm squares.

Note: Traditionally Koreans keep the leaves whole, but I prefer to chop it so it is ready to eat straight from the jar!

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3. Submerge the cabbage in the salted water. Cover and leave for 12 – 24 hours.

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4. Wash the cabbage in unsalted water.  Then squeeze it to remove as much liquid as possible.

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5. Gather together the rest of the ingredients.

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6. Mix the cabbage with the garlic, ginger, fish sauce, spring onion, Korean red pepper flakes, daikon, shrimp paste and white sugar.

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7. Once the cabbage is well coated in the spices transfer it to a fermentation crock or jar. Press the ingredients down well to remove any air holes.

kimchee68. Leave at room temperature. After about 24 hours you should begin to see small bubbles forming.

9. After about 5 days it should be ready to eat. It can now be transferred to a cooler place and stored for several months, although if your house is anything like mine it will be eaten long before then!

 

 

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What is Lacto Fermentation?

Lacto-fermentation is a natural process used to preserve food. Before the advent of modern refrigeration equipment people benefited from the ability to store vitamin C-rich vegetables over the winter months, but now the main positive is the healthy bacteria produced in the process.

Foods from around the world

Many cultures around the world invented their own fermented dishes, each very different from the next. The most famous ones today are probably the German sauerkraut and the Korean kimchee, but there are many others including ogi (an African fermented millet porridge) and kefir (a Russian fermented milk drink). It is possible to ferment a wide variety of food and create many new,  nutritious recipes. The only limit is your imagination!

The science

Lacto-fermentation occurs when Lactobacillus bacteria, naturally present on the surface of food, break down the sugars to create lactic acid.  When this occurs in the absence of air the Lactobacillus are able to out-compete potentially dangerous bacteria to create a safe food that doesn’t rot.