Written by Sumin Lee and Minchan Kim

Kimchi, a household staple in South Korea and a popular cuisine that is enjoyed by foreigners and natives alike throughout the globe was and still is a defining aspect of Korean culture. However, Kimchi’s history, even to those who consume it daily, is mostly unknown, so this article will delve into the past and present forms of this famous dish.

The History of Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish dating back to ancient times. It originated when vegetables such as turnips, eggplants, and bamboo shoots were salted and fermented. During the Goryeo Dynasty(1392 ~ 1910), it was not the spicy and red food we know today, but the soupy food. Radish and cabbage were the main ingredients, and crops such as garlic, green onions, and ginger were used as spices. During the mid-Joseon Dynasty, peppers were imported into Korea, resulting in a completely different form of kimchi from previous ones. Chili peppers have unique ingredients that keep fermented foods like kimchi from going bad. Because peppers were grown a lot in the southern regions, southern kimchi developed a little redder and more spicy kimchi, and because not many peppers were grown in the north, kimchi like white kimchi and dongchimi were developed. This many kinds of kimchi were mainly made during the Joseon Dynasty. What’s shocking here is that when you think of kimchi today, it has a history of cabbage kimchi for less than 100 years. Old cabbage was not used as a main ingredient for kimchi because it did not last long and had a lot of moisture in the cabbage itself. However, over time, it became the perfect species to make kimchi through variety improvement.

Kimich in the Present day

Nowadays kimchi has been able to become a common food available to the public in over 90 different countries demonstrating its growth from the singular Korean culture. 

It has become more and more popular throughout the world. I could find kimchi in China and I think this also occurred as the Korean government made an effort in order to make K-food available to a large population around the world. – Mr.Kwanyoung Paik, EAC history teacher

As seen above, Kimchi has a deep history within Korean culture, going through various changes but always remaining a staple in the diet of thousands of people. Nowadays, kimchi is made in bulk by large companies allowing the population to readily access kimchi easily; however, others, especially in the countryside, there are those who choose to make kimchi on their own. 

Kimchi is a popular collaboration project for many people and close friends and family often come together to make kimchi in large quantities. To demonstrate the tradition of making kimchi in Korean households we interviewed Sul Yung-Eh (설영애) who has been making kimchi for her family and with her neighbors for over 40 years. 

“When you make kimchi, do you enjoy having people do it with you?”

“Making kimchi is a very good opportunity for us neighbors to come together and we’ve been doing it for years, and so it’s basically tradition to come together once in a while and make kimchi together. We gossip, we talk about politics, we argue, we talk about our grandchildren, and so on. When you’re together making large batches of kimchi for hours it’s really easy to get to know new people and to relax and have a nice conversation.”

“What about the kimchi itself? Do you think you can make a perfect batch every time now?”

“Hahaha, when I actually made my first batch with my own mother it was pretty terrible. I think I remember it being too salty, but yeah with over 40 years of experience under my belt, I’m pretty sure I can make a tasty batch in my sleep. Thank goodness as well because it feels like I have to make a new batch every time my grandchildren come over. I still use my mother’s recipe, although it is changed to fit my tastes a bit better, and it took a lot of trial and error to get it just right, but your grandfather won’t eat any other kimchi than mine so I want to say mine is pretty great now.”

“How integral is kimchi in your life?”

“I mean I eat it with almost every meal and I know most people that I know do as well. It’s salty and refreshing so it pretty much goes with everything, I could just be old though. No, no but I think kimchi is really just a significant aspect of every Korean’s life, so much so that we often forget how much we like it until we have a meal without it!”

Kimchi remains a tradition integral in the history of Korea both as a national dish and a common way to bring the community together. However, as much as kimchi is a historical dish, it also represents individuality and the adaptation of traditions. Although traditions are constant in their basic ideas and their roots remain stagnant, every family and every community that makes kimchi together creates their own recipe and utilizes their own unique techniques for their better taste. In this sense, kimchi’s tradition is subjective to every family, since everyone has their own way of making it; however, the fact that the entire family can still find familiarity with kimchi anywhere they go goes to show the inherent significance of kimchi in our society.  

As much as kimchi is integral to a Korean’s daily meal, with the availability of ingredients in various countries, kimchi is popular in a wide range of countries. Furthermore, with the adaptation of kimchi into different cultures such as Kimchi pizzas in the U.S. and Kimchi tacos in Mexico, different cultures have been able to add their own personalization to the dish. This signifies the branching out of Korean culture as worldwide recognition has followed kimchi and has furthered Korea’s global identity. Now kimchi is on the tables of thousands of different families, from all over the world, which helps to signify how Korean culture has developed through the years. 

How to make your own!

Ingredients

• 1 large napa cabbage

• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/2 cup Korean red chili flakes (gochugaru)

• 1 cup of gochujang 

(You can easily find this ingredient in the stores below)

1. K-mart (Piracicaba)
2. Supermercado Otegui (São Paulo)
3. Liberdade (São Paulo)

• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece ginger, minced
• 4 green onions, chopped

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cabbage

1. First preparations: Get the cabbage and sprinkle it with salt. Then let it sit for 2 hours, tossing occasionally.
2. Rinse: Rinse the cabbage well under cold water to remove the salt. 

2. Make the Kimchi Paste

1. Mix: In a large bowl, mix the gochujang, gochugaru, fish sauce, minced garlic, ginger, and green onions to make the paste

“Every batch of kimchi will be a little different, so don’t stress about the measurements too much.” -Sul Yung-Eh

3. Combine and Ferment

1. Coat the Cabbage: Add the drained cabbage to the paste and make sure to spread the sauce to every leaf to get the most out of the flavor.
2. Pack into Jar: Pack the kimchi into a clean jar.
3. Ferment: Leave the jar at room temperature for 1-2 days, then refrigerate. Then you can ferment it in the fridge until you want to eat it.

“Preferably let it ferment overnight and then have a taste test” -Sul Yung-Eh

4. When you’re ready to eat it just take one out and cut it up.

References

“김치.” Encykorea.aks.ac.kr, encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0010822.

“전통문화포털/문화유산/100대 민족문화상징/이름별 문화상징.” Kculture.or.kr, 2024, http://www.kculture.or.kr/brd/board/219/L/menu/457?brdType=R&thisPage=8&bbIdx=8353&rootCate=&searchField=&searchText=&recordCnt=10. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

““Kimchi: The Global Phenomenon – from Korea to the World.”” Yopokki US, 19 Dec. 2023, yopokki-us.com/blogs/news/kimchi-the-global-phenomenon-from-korea-to-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOoqj05XYj1wsnjFrQdQytHXrs3uRMOTPgCiAnUK2T5xDeQamJi4y. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.