kimchi, the thread

[deepsouth]

in this thread, i'm hoping to learn more about kimchi.

kim·chi/ˈkimCHē/
Noun:Spicy pickled cabbage, the national dish of Korea.

i attempted kimchi last week. i used david chang's recipe from the momofuku cookbook.... i had to make one detour and that is, i could not locate any napa cabbage, so i used regular cabbage. this is the recipe i followed.

Ingredients

1 small to medium head Napa cabbage, discolored or loose outer leave discarded
2 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
20 garlic cloves, minced
20 slices peeled fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup kochukaru (Korean chile powder)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup usukuchi (light soy sauce)
2 teaspoons jarred salted shrimp
1/2 cup 1-inch pieces scallions (greens and whites)
1/2 cup julienned carrots

Preparation

Cut the cabbage lengthwise in half, then cut the halves crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces. Toss the cabbage with the salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a bowl. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Combine the garlic, ginger, kochukaru, fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp, and remaining ½ cup sugar in a large bowl. If it is very thick, add water 1/3 cup at a time until the brine is just thicker than a creamy salad dressing but no longer a sludge. Stir in the scallions and carrots.

Drain the cabbage and add it to the brine. Cover and refrigerate. Though the kimchi will be tasty after 24 hours, it will be better in a week and at its prime in 2 weeks. It will still be good for another couple weeks after that, though it will grow stronger and funkier.

Serving Size

Makes 1 to 1½ quarts (mine made more as i had a larger head of cabbage. when i made it, i bumped everything up by 50%.)

NOTE: in this recipe, the kimchi is refrigerated.


subsequently, i found this recipe, an adaptation of david chang's recipe above, in the modernist cuisine cookbook....

NOTE: in this recipe, the kimchi is stored at room temperature.



this is some pretty confusing stuff. room temp or refrigerator temp? do you need a "sour starter" (for lack of a better term) or not? will regular cabbage even "work"? how long is this good for, four weeks or four years?

 

[jaronimo]

I ate a bunch of that in South Korea, it was good. I am going to have to try this. Thanks.

 

[SmokinAussie]

It looks like you did a great job!

From my experience, room temperature is the go. The pickling process is then faster. Once it gets to your desired flavour, then you'd refrigerate. The recipe is usually made with Wom Bok: a chinese cabbage and the Napa cabbage looks almost exactly like it.

Your photos look awesome!

Cheers!

Bill

 

[Elrik]

In a container of kimchi you have two different textures going on. The big chunk of the ribs and the softer chew of the leafy parts of the cabbage. With a traditional european cabbage, you are only going to get the one texture note. It will absolutely work with regular cabbage, you just have to know that you will be missing one of the texture components. The same pickling method is used for a multitude of other vegetables (my fav is green onion), so you really aren't destroying the dish by using a different cabbage.

Given that it is summer and you live in southern Mississippi, I would highly advise that you use the fridge to make your kimchi. When done unrefridgerated it is usually made in the cooler months in regions that are much more temperate than where you live.

Once a sealed container of kimchi has been opened, I find it is only good for about a month before it starts to get fizzy and overly sour. You can still eat it after that, but it just isn't as good. I have kept unopened containers for several months and they were still fine when I opened them. Being your first go at home made, I would stick to a shorter time period and see how it goes.

Good luck!

 

[Wyley]

Go to this thread and sign up for e-mail recipes. I usually get 2 or 3 Kimchee recipes a week.

http://koreanrecipes.org/

Paul

 

[TIMMAY]

Kimchi does have a timeline for flavor, it has to sit for a couple days to get happy, but over time the flavor goes sour. Some folks do not mind it, but I do. I dig the fishy spice flavor, but when it's sour I don't eat as much. Meh. Maybe I am just spoiled from all of my time in Korea.

**side note** use the same prep and ingredients but do it with small cucumbers quartered lengthwise. Also daikon (SP?) radish slices work too.

 

[J_Don]

Thanks for the post and info. I was turned on to Kimchi from some Asian friends I had living in Houston. They told me that they actually burried the clay pot in the back yard or so and let it ferment for at least a month. I love it and I saw some in the grocery store just the other day and the price was way to much for me. If I remember right a large mason jar as such was $8.95. I am definitely trying to learn how to make it and I'm sure your info will help greatly. Thanks again. :thumb:

 

[deepsouth]

gore? landarc? whomever else i'm forgetting...

 

[landarc]

Sorry, I actually have had to pay attention to work stuff, and then there was lunch at the place where all the hot office gals eat...was busy I mean.

I happen to love kim chee, and there are many variations, of which, Napa Cabbage is the most common. I really dig the Daikon radish versions, both sweet and hot, as well. Then there are various herb versions, which are great, especially in panchan (all those little bites that come with a Korean meal). I encourage you to experiment, I do prefer the texture of Napa cabbage to regular cabbage, but, that is more of a taste thing.

I have made both the pickled and fermented varieties. I don't think the pickled ones are anything special, but, they are becoming more common, as many of the urban Koreans have found a belief, that the fermented varieties are a cause of stomach cancer (this, FYI, comes from Japan, where this idea has banged around for some years, in fact, my Grandmother believed this). I think the fermented ones are better, but, there is truth to Timmay (I think) who said as it ages, it gets more sour. In fact, there are folks who prefer new or old kim chee. I think old has it purposes, especially in dishes were sweet is quite dominant. But, most Americans, and in fact, from what I can tell, most Koreans now prefer the new or young kim chee. At least according to my Korean friends.

I think fermented kim chee in incredibly easy to make, it does smell bad. It does not have to be buried. The thing to remember is that in most of Asia, refrigeration is still in the form of a small box, what we thin of as economy refrigerators. By burying the crock down a coupld of feet, you are getting it in an area where it is nearly always around 55F to 65F, and most importantly, consistent in temperature. You can make it in the fridge too, it just takes a little longer, and it will be milder. I do not like storing it in jars, especially glass, as it can blow up. Plastic is better. It will smell a little funky, but, it is easy to open and does not blow up.

David Chang's recipes are great. I highly recommend you try the White Kim Chee in Lucky Peach Magazine if you can get it.

 

[deepsouth]

good to know about the glass containers. i think a kimchi explosion would be far worse than blowing the top off a carboy.

 

[bigabyte]

I suggest burying it in the ground if anyone in the house does not like the smell. Believe it or not, the odor will find a way to permeate the whole house, and it has some serious staying power. :laugh:

I've never found a recipe that won me over. I don't know why. I like most every other fermented food.

 

[landarc]

Yes, my fridge has a unique odor due to a mishap with my roomies kim chi. He layered in squid then spilled 3 gallons. YUM! :mmph:

Oh, Kim Chee fried rice is very good stuff.

 

[buccaneer]

The napa/wombok cabbage has a lighter texture,less density and a much higher moisture content that needs to be reduced dramatically to make good kimchi.
Using European cabbage gives you an advantage there, but I love the lighter textures and always use green onion and daikon and cucumber .
No soup starter needed and I agree, you need the fridge in your climate Jason.

 

[captndan]

The Kim Chee pot is a family treasure handed down to the next generation. Direct burial is required to keep the wolverines away.

 

[big brother smoke]

I love Kim Chee. We have this little place that sells street tacos topped with kim chee.