"Korea's UNESCO-listed fermented cabbage — gochugaru, garlic, fermented shrimp — is eaten at every meal. The annual kimjang (communal making) is a cultural event as much as a food preparation."
About Kimchi
Korea's most defining food and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — napa cabbage fermented with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, salted fermented shrimp and spring onion in an ancient process called kimjang; over 200 regional varieties exist; the lacto-fermentation produces a probiotic, funky, pungent, crisp result that Koreans eat at every meal; the kimchi refrigerator is standard in every Korean home.
Kimchi — a staple of South Korea's cuisine
Napa cabbage salted overnight to draw out water, then packed with a paste of gochugaru, garlic, ginger, salted fermented shrimp and spring onion, sealed in jars and fermented for days to months. The lacto-fermentation produces lactic acid that drops the pH, preserves the cabbage and creates the complex, funky, pungent, crunchy result.
The annual kimjang — the communal making of kimchi in late November for the winter — is UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Families make hundreds of cabbages worth in one day.
What to Expect
Kimchi arrives as a banchan (side dish) before you've ordered. It is the permanent fixture at every Korean table — fresh (geotjeori), mildly fermented (yangbaechu) or aged (mukimchi). Each stage is different.
Why Try It
Kimchi is the most complete expression of Korean food philosophy — preservation, probiotic culture and deeply developed flavour from the simplest ingredients.
Insider Tips
Aged kimchi (over 6 months) has a more complex sour depth than fresh kimchi.
Kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew) made with older kimchi is one of Korea's great dishes.
Every Korean household has a dedicated kimchi refrigerator that operates at a specific temperature — this is not an affectation.
