Korean Cooking with Friends: Kimchi

Certainly our Korean feast would not have been complete without kimchi, the fermented vegetables that are so beloved by the Korean people! The first Korean astronaut was even given kimchi specially prepared for eating in space.

I was worried that it would be too hot for me, but with each kimchi bite I included rice...and it was not too hot. I really loved its unique flavor. 

According to the Korean government, kimchi probably dates back to the seventh century in Korea. The practice of fermenting vegetables probably began in China about three thousand years ago and came to Korea from China. 

At first kimchi was made by salted vegetables. The salt operated as a preservative along with the fermentation process. Beginning in the twelfth century additional spices were added for flavor variety. 

Red hot chili peppers arrived in Korea with Japanese soldiers during the invasion of 1592. However, the red pepper began as an alternative to black pepper when black pepper was unavailable. During the eighteenth century, frequent crop failures occurred and there was a shortage of salt. The Koreans needed an alternative preservative, so red pepper stepped into that role. These hot chili peppers transformed kimchi, and gave us the pungent dish we know today. 

Kimchi was originally developed because ancient Koreans, who were mostly farmers, needed a way to preserve vegetables over the cold winters. The people developed creative ways to store the kimchi in ceramic vessels that were often buried in winter. Ceramic Onggi pots used to store ferment vegetables are still commonly used throughout Korea today.

Kimchi is considered to be quite healthy. It is high in dietary fiber, low in calories, and high in vitamins C and A, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, iron, and "good" bacteria.

So what happens when kimchi is made from cabbage?

• Rinse the cabbage and coat it with salt to draw liquid out of the cabbage cells. The salt also kills bacteria that will spoil the cabbage.
• After the salt draws the liquid from the cells for about six hours, it is washed off, and a mixture of other vegetables, fresh salt, sugar and spices are added to produce the desired flavor.
• The mixture is put into a closed container where the lactic acid bacteria that already exist on the cabbage grow and carry out fermentation. Anaerobic conditions are required for this process. During this process, the microbes break down carbohydrates into simple sugars and lactic acid. 
• The lactic acid, other organic acids, carbon dioxide, and alcohol prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.
• The fermentation process preserves the vitamin C in the cabbage and adds B vitamins.

Maangchi is a blogger who has several kimchi recipes and a fun "Ballad for Kimchi."

• Linda at "Playing with Fire and Water" has an interesting recipe for an American version of kimchi.

Because kimchi is a wonderful example of fermentation, lesson plans that blend culture and science can be found on the internet.

And in the picture above, you can see the kimchi in the foreground surrounded by the other dishes along with the chefs ready to sample their creations. We had such a wonderful feast!