Food as Medicine: Kimchi; What is your favorite kimchi recipe?

Vicky M.
Vicky M. Posts: 74 ✭✭✭
edited October 2020 in General Recipes

This 'One Kilo' (really weighed 3 pounds) cabbage made one gallon of some mighty good for you kimchi.


Comments

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    I use a recipe from an alternative health practitioner who is South Korean. He has lots of other authentic South Korean recipes, lots of stretches & great advice on his blog. I appreciate the openness & kindness that he shows to others.

    I figure that it is best to make cultural dishes as authentic as possible, so that's why I follow this recipe. He has another for cucumber kim chi as well. I also like that this recipe utilizes the sugars from whole fruits and even that is minimal.

    We use ours as a relish & condiment otherwise. My husband doesn't like the texture of cabbage, but in smaller pieces like relish, the texture is acceptable.

  • Vicky M.
    Vicky M. Posts: 74 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2020

    Laurie, I love how Doctor Kim illustrates his recipes and his Kimchi is very close to the recipe I used differing only in I used a whole ripe pear and no apple. Also, thank you for suggesting Dr. Kim's Cucumber Kim Chi recipe as that will be my next project.

    Dr. Kim's Cumber Kim Chi recipe:


  • Nancy A.Maurelli
    Nancy A.Maurelli Posts: 44 ✭✭✭

    I know it isn't "authentic," but I make kimchi without so much of the chili pepper, and have often added paprika to give the red color. Does anyone know if the chili is critical for the health benefits? Also, I have never used any type of sweetener or fruit in mine OR as much onion as is suggested. I use the recipe in Sandor Katz's great book, WILD FERMENTATION, as a guide.

  • I have been making kimchi for years, ever since being stationed for almost two years in Korea. Here is what I have learned:

    1. When you are first starting out, it is perfectly fine to use an easier recipe, what Koreans call "mak" kimchi, where ingredients are chopped and other shortcuts are made. This is a completely legit way to make kimchi. Here is a recipe for mak kimchi: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/mak-kimchi-simple-kimchi/
    2. Every family has their own recipe, so lean into that and use what you have locally. I've made kimchi with European cabbages and it was still delicious. Same with kohlrabi. I've put apples in my kimchi and they were great. Use what you have, make it local and make it personal-- then you will be a true Korean kimchi maker in the finest traditions of the peninsula.
    3. For the traditional red kimchi that I grew to love during my time in the army, you really need to use a Korean chili powder-- it is milder and sweeter than the Mexican-inspired chili powders you see in the USA. However, see above-- use what you have and it will still turn out great. But if you are hankering for something that tastes Korean, then use Korean chili powder. Many larger cities have Korean or Asian grocery stores and it is surprisingly available. Or you can order some off of Amazon.
    4. Likewise, I have found that to get that authentic taste I need to add a little bit of fish sauce and/or chopped squid or eel to my mixture. It works amazing things in the ferment and gives you a depth and complexity of flavor you can't get anywhere else.
    5. If you really get into kimchi making and other Korean cooking, a great resource is YouTube chef Maangchi. She has at least two or three different kimchi videos, and many other ones on Korean cooking, and also some really helpful videos on how to shop in a Korean supermarket and what the various options are. Here is a link to her channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Maangchi
    6. Finally, kimchi is a ferment, and ferments are fun and extremely hard to mess up. Chop up some stuff, add some salt, crush it a bit to get it started, make sure it is covered by the brine, and you won't go wrong. In a few days you will have something delicious. Good luck!
  • Vicky M.
    Vicky M. Posts: 74 ✭✭✭

    Thanks you so much, I appreciate the time & detail invested in your very inspiring comment! I plan to take your advice and find my own kimchi recipe experimenting with the medicinal & nourishing herbs in my garden. We have made kimchi a part of our everyday diet. We fast most of the day and eat one meal toward late afternoon. First course, a small bowl of a traditional Japanese ferment called natto (homemade) with a side of Korean kimchi.

    I bought the seeds to grow the Korean pepper and look forward to using the traditional mild kimchi chili powder in the future as the peppers we have been using are very hot.

    Thanks again Sea Sparrow!

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin
    edited July 2020

    I REALLY love kimchi! I'm not so big on natto. But, I also really love miso! I've made some very varied kimchis.... I think the last one I made was cabbage, carrots, garlic, onions, horseradish, mustard, hot peppers, ginger, radishes turmeric, soy and fish sauce..... it packed a serious punch! It ended up tasting more like a really, really funky hot dog relish though. I've never done the salted and rinsed, whole heads of cabbage recipes. I think, maybe, when I get settled I'll get more into traditional recipes. Being on the road all the time has made me focus more on thrown together creativity... often quite good though!

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    Maangchi is delightful - love her accent! She reminds me a lot of a girl I was in college with... she was a a foreign student from Korea. Gosh, she was smart and beautiful, like a little "cupie doll" from the 1940s! Suddenly, she had a visa issue and had to leave. She wanted me to marry her so she could stay. I probably should have. But, we just friends and my life was turning upside down, too... my grandmother was sick and I left college too, just a few weeks later. Oh well. " Regrets, I have a few..."

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    It's not necessarily authentic, but I like to make kimchi with daikon. I use a typical kimchi recipe, and just sub shredded daikon for the napa cabbage. I'd share the recipe I used for years, but sadly the website has disappeared, and if I saved the recipe I sure can't find it.


    If you happen to have more kimchi than you can use, this is really yummy.

    I've also made the pancake with sauerkraut, and melted some swiss cheese on top when done- yumm.