3, 2, 1....Kimchi!

Considered to be Korea’s national dish, kimchi is defined, according to Oxford, as “a raw strongly-flavoured vegetable pickle (Oxford English Dictionary).  This definition encompasses over 120 different varieties of this dish, of which baechu kimchi is the most common. 

The word “kimchi” originates from two Chinese characters – “chimchae” – meaning some type of pickled vegetable.  Through linguistic alterations, “chimchae” turned into “dimchae,” then to “jimchi,” and eventually it became the word as we know it – “kimchi” (Jo 11). 

The origin of kimchi sprouts from even before the formation of Korea as a nation.   Napa cabbage, the main ingredient in baechu kimchi, dates back to 5^th century China.  It was then introduced in Korea some time afterward (Norman 76).  Because of temperate summers and bitter winters, farmers could not enjoy some of their desired summer produce off-season.  To overcome this problem, they cured the vegetables, like cabbage, with tons of salt.  This type of kimchi, although not referred to as such then, gained a significant amount of popularity during the Korean Goryeo period (Jo 10).  It is believed that kimchi’s origin in Korea began sometime during this period.  However, it was not until the Japanese invasion of Korea under Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1592 that red peppers were incorporated into the kimchi that Korea is famous for now (Lee).  The benefits of integrating red peppers were two-fold.  Peppers enriched the plain, salty cabbage with spiciness and flavor while displacing some of the priceless salt as a preservative in the recipe.  Because of the climatic differences between the areas of Korea, the regional tastes of kimchi also varied.  Southern regions that enjoyed a warm, comfortable summer and milder winters had to use more seasoning and spices in order to keep the kimchi from going bad.  On the other hand, farther north, the winters were cold enough that the weather was enough to keep the kimchi fresh and edible.  As such northern kimchi tended to be less salty and less spicy.  Proximity to the ocean also had influences in the type of kimchi that Koreans ate.  Along the shores, much of the kimchi assimilated seafood, such as oyster, fish, and squid, into the dish.  Of course, the seafood ingredients were also based on the availability of the fish.

As for kimchi in America, Korean immigrants first brought this dish along with them during the wave of immigrants in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century.  Until the later 20^th century, however, the migration of immigrants into America was drastically reduced by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that placed quotas on certain minority groups.  After the restrictions were removed, there was an influx of Koreans, and long with them, kimchi.

However, Americans, and other foreigners, were not completely exposed to kimchi even with the presence of Korean immigrants and their kimchi.  It was not until the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea that thousands of people got to experience the pungent pickled vegetable and other Korean cuisine.   

The integration of kimchi into America went far beyond than just mere exposure.  Along with other foreign enclaves, Korean towns sprung up all over the country, based in areas with high immigrant populations.  Restaurants also became popular not only with members of that ethnic group, but with the Americans and even other minorities.  Now, even popular network shows, such as Bobby Flay’s show on the Food Network Channel, feature kimchi and other Korean foods. 

The effortless accommodation of Korean food into America implies that there was also an incursion of American culture into Korea.  Popular American dishes were brought back to Korea and altered to match their tastes.  Fast food chains in Korea serve as an example of this, as menu items include prevalent Korean dishes.  At McDonalds a popular burger is the kimchi burger.  In many pizzerias in Korea, they offer kimchi as a topping, as well as goguma (Korean sweet potatoe) and bulgogi (a Korean BBQ meat).

Today, although the traditional taste of kimchi may have evolved, the popularity of this dish continues to grow.  Companies like the Doosan kimchi factory produce 15 tons of kimchi a day.  Korean exports of kimchi have also increased: an increased 63 percent from 1999 to 2000 (Sims).

Although the taste of kimchi is unique, this wave of international recognition is believed to be the result of its nutritional value as a food.  Kimchi is considered to be one of the world’s “super foods.”  It is low in fat and very high in nutrients, containing Vitamins A, B, and C.  Aiding in the fermentation process, a type of bacteria called lactobacillus is found abundantly in kimchi.  Although not as plentiful, it is also in foods such as yogurt, cheese, and chocolate (Lee).  Recent studies show that kimchi may even prevent diseases such as yeast infection and even cancer.  It is no wonder that the nutrient-rich kimchi, along with its exquisite taste, as become well-known all around the world. 

Myung-Ok (pronounced myung-oak) Park, involved directly with preparing kimchi from start to finish, outlined the way she has made the dish ever since her mother had taught her.  This type of baechu kimchi uses napa cabbage, commonly sold in Korean or farmer’s markets.  Koreans always make everything in bulk, so Myung-Ok usually buys them in boxes.  However, they can also be bought individually for making smaller amounts of kimchi.  The main ingredients that go into the seasoning are salt, chopping green onions, minced white onions, minced garlic, sugar, ginger, and Korean chili powder.  All these ingredients are mixed together before even touching the cabbage.  The napa cabbages are cut in half down the middle, and the individual leaves are packed with the seasoning.  After doing so, she stores them into large, clear jars which are then refrigerated for a couple days.  The length of time that the kimchi is refrigerated for determines the extent of fermentation (Myung-Ok). 

In the process of seasoning the kimchi, the quantity of each ingredient is where the taste can vary tremendously.  Koreans who have been making kimchi for a while have a certain knack for knowing just how much of each ingredient goes into the recipe.  When asked about the precise measurements, Myung-Ok eagerly states, “I don’t really know how the kimchi is going to taste afterward, but even if the taste isn’t so good, I’ll learn and make it that much better the next time.”  Through this trial-and-error experimentation, Koreans acquire the experience, rather than knowledge, of making the best kimchi.  In support of this, there is even a word in Korean, literally meaning “old hands,” implying that sometimes certain skills, especially those relating to making kimchi, have to be attained through years of practice. 

The traditional technique by which people like Myung-Ok make kimchi is not the way the world makes kimchi today.  Modernization has even affected kimchi.  Companies involved in kimchi production, such as the Doosan kimchi factory, have developed ways of mechanizing the manner in which they make even food, reducing the care and effort applied to each cabbage leaf.  Just the fact that the name includes the word “factory” attributes to the argument.  Of course, that is the only plausible way for the factory to be producing fifteen tons of kimchi per day. 

Produced kimchi has an older history than Doosan.  Mass produced kimchi goes back all the way to the Vietnam War.  In 1966, South Korea shipped kimchi packaged in tin cans to the Korean soldiers serving the war.  This was considered the first and one of the largest examples of industrial manufactured kimchi.

Modernization can also be helpful.  Because less and less people have time to actually make kimchi, which can take a couple hours depending on how much is being made, it is thanks to kimchi manufacturing companies like Doosan that people can enjoy these kinds of labor intensive foods.  In addition nowadays, there are even specially designed refrigerators especially for the fermentation process of kimchi.  With adjustable temperatures and setings, the refrigerators keep the kimchi and other vegetables fresh and crisp longer than regular refrigerators.  In more recent times, Koreans invented a space-brand kimchi that astronauts are allowed to take on their voyage.  This variety of kimchi was crafted to meet space regulation and has none of the lactic acid bacteria that normal kimchi has, all with 90 percent of the flavor and half of the smell intact (Sang-Hun).  The kimchi might not taste as distinctive and tasteful, but mass produced kimchi is certainly preferred over no at all kimchi. 

Kimchi is one of the most versatile dishes in all of Korean cuisine.  Once it goes “bad” or becomes too sour, Koreans often make kimchi stew, or kimchi jjigae.  Oddly enough kimchi jjigae actually becomes more flavorful with aged kimchi.  Kimchi jjigae consists of a variety of ingredients – tofu, meat, seafood, onions, and of course, kimchi.  Kimchi buchimgae, another dish containing kimchi, also contains many of the same ingredients as the jjigae.  It is often referred to as the Korean pancake; although for me, it is difficult to imagine it as such.  The base of it is flour, and it is fried in very thin, crispy layers.  This dish can also be made without kimchi to make a less spicy variation.  Another dish, bibimbap, is best described as an amalgamation of rice and every other side dish in a Korean fridge.  Because it is always lying around, kimchi is habitually added into the mix to give the food a nice, strong kick.  There is no doubt that because of the countless ways to use the same vegetable in numerous ways, people are still in love with kimchi and always ask for seconds.

With all things considered, the importance and cultural value goes beyond just taste.  Kimchi brings people and even nations together with just a simple side dish.  From my personal experience with my family, kimchi gathers us together to enjoy a simple meal as a whole and helps us to understand each other individually.  Even now, I still have images of my mother working for several hours sometimes just to make a batch of kimchi.  At the time, I did not realize the effort and love she put in into the food, a taste that I did not even appreciate.  I remember myself complaining about how we never had anything to eat except rice and kimchi, ignorant to my parents’ struggles to put food on the table.  At one point, my mother’s health issues got to a certain extent that my father did not even want her stepping inside the kitchen.  After I turned the age at which one starts to notice that other people’s feelings are present and matter, I realized how oblivious I was.  Coincidentally, or perhaps not, it was also around then at which I developed a taste for kimchi.  Now, the sight of kimchi, or even the mere mention of the dish, has me nostalgic for my mother’s homemade kimchi.

Something as simple as a dish can encompasses all of a nationality’s people, history, and way of living.  This can often be identified as the one food, a comfort food that one longs for after detachment from that culture.  For China, it is baozi.  For England, it is fish and chips.  For Koreans, it is kimchi.  As soon as Koreans become homesick, they immediately crave a bowl of hot kimchi jjigae and rice.  To Koreans and kimchi fanatics, kimchi resembles happiness and comfort, enough that they say “Kimchiiiiii!” instead of “cheese” when posing for the camera.  Although Koreans do not commonly think of all the historical implications and preparation techniques related to the dish, the warm feelings of communalism and time spent with one another comes with just mentioning the word.

Resources

Jo, Jae-sun. “Background and Development of Korean Kimchi.” Kyung Hee: Kyung Hee University, 2008. Print.

“Kimchi.” Oxford English Dictionary. 2^nd ed. 2011.

Lee, Hyon Jung. “Korean American Food.” The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. Ed. Andrew F. Smith. 2004. 5 December 2011 http://www.oxford-americanfoodanddrink.com/entry?entry=t170.e0459

Norman, Jerry. Chinese. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Print.

Park, Myung-Ok. Personal interview. 26 Nov. 2011.

Sang-Hun, Choe. “Kimchi goes to space, along with first Korean astronaut.” New York Times 22 Feb. 2008. Web. December 2011.

Sims, Calvin. “Cabbage Is Cabbage? Not to Kimchi Lovers; Koreans Take Issue With a Rendition Of Their National Dish Made in Japan.” New York Times 5 Feb. 2000. Web. December 2011.

And...my favorite!

Gochujang, my favorite Korean sauce, can be eaten with almost anything.  Although red peppers were first introduced in Korea by the Japanese during Hideyoshi’s invasion of 1592, gochujang did not exist until the later 1700s and 1800s. 

   The exact taste of this paste differs between chefs (Korean moms in this case) and between the times you make it.  Korean cuisine is heavily dependent on the season.  The population, mostly farmers, kept their food preserved by adding lots of salt.  As such, winter foods were more commonly saltier than summer foods which were fresh.  Another factor for the differences in taste is how the meal is prepared.  Usually Koreans cook not by precise measurements and calculations, but by feel.  This can either turn out beautifully, or quite terrible, which I have experienced as my mother’s personal taste tester.  

oneforkonespoon.wordpress.com

   Gochujang is mainly a paste made of red hot peppers, glutinous rice powder, and a soybean paste; sugar is sometimes substituted for the rice powder.  Some may say the paste is more spicy than sweet, and others may say it’s more sweet than spicy.  Again, the taste changes every single time you make it.  Although I prefer my gochujang sweet, there are times where spicy gochujang is all I want. 

   This paste goes into a lot of the Korean cuisine.  A very common dish that incorporates this is called bibimbap.  This is a dish that pretty much uses any and all of the left over dishes that Koreans have lying around.  Usually it consists of rice, sprouts and other greens, sesame, sometimes meat, and gochujang.  Although some may disagree, I think that the gochujang is the key ingredient that determines the quality of the bibimbap and ties all the separate ingredients together.