Making Kimchee: A Step-by-Step Guide

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.

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!

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

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

5. Gather together the rest of the ingredients.

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

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.

8. 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!