My Favourite Korean Dish: Kimchi

Tada!

I want to quickly take you to Korea for a moment.
I’m a Nigerian by birth and citizenship but a Korean by love and heart 😍 .

What do I mean?

My love for Korean is triple much. This is one of the fun facts you need to know about me.

In fact, I see myself travelling to Jeju Island, Seoul or Jeonju one day.

I don’t like/watch American movies for so many reasons but I watch Korean movies very well. And I can not watch any Korean movie without learning something new.

My favorite Korean actress is Park Min Young. I’ve watched some of her series which are City Hunter, Queen for Seven Days, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, Her Private Life, etc

I also love the fact that Korea promotes herbal medicine very well.

Okay, let me not digress too much.
You see, anytime I’m watching Korean movies, I look forward to their dishes or meals.

The table setting alone is always breathtaking. Korean just have varieties of food ranging from Ddukbokki, Bibimbap, Hangover Stew (Haejangguk), etc

Over the years of watching Korean movies, I’ve gotten so much acquainted with some of their meals.
I remember how watching a Korean movie one day made me opt for noodles as lunch.
Koreans refer to noodles as Ramen. Ramen is commonly used in most Korean movies.

I don’t like noodles before but Koreans had made me start falling in love with it so much.

My love for Korean dishes had also pushed me to learn how to cook some of them.

And obviously when I go to Korea one day, I’ll be able to eat most of their mouth watering foods. Better still, I can just go to any international restaurant in Nigeria and  myself to a Korean dish.

So far so good, Kimchi happens to be my Korean best choice. I salivate whenever I see it while watching any Korean movie.

Kimchi is not really a dish but something that is vital to any Korean meal. It is a traditional Korean dish consisting of pickled vegetables. It is mainly served as a side dish with every meal, but also can be served as a main dish. 

Let me quickly share the little knowledge I have on how to prepare this sumptuous dish.

There are varieties of Kimchi ranging from Pa kimchi (green onions), oi sobagi (cucumber), dongchimi (radish water), Bossam kimchi, etc

The commonest one is paechu kimchi, made with napa cabbage.

And that’s the one we’re looking at today.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium head napa cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup iodine-free sea salt or kosher salt
Water
Grated garlic
Grated peeled fresh ginger
Granulated sugar (optional)
Fish sauce or salted shrimp paste
1 to 5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
8 ounces Korean radish or daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 medium scallions

PROCEDURES
1) The first thing is to cut the cabbage. Cut the cabbage lengthwise through the stem into quarters and add salt to the cabbage.

Massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit. Then, add enough water to cover the cabbage and place a heavy something like a rod on top of the cabbage to weigh it down. This is to squeeze out the brine in the cabbage. Allow this to stand for 2 to 4 hours.

2) Blend the garlic, ginger, sugar, and fish sauce, shrimp paste and stir into a smooth paste.
Stir in the gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes). Use 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy taste.
Then, set aside until the cabbage is ready.

3) Once the cabbage is ready, combine with the vegetables and spice paste made. Then, add the radish and scallions radish, green onions, mustard greens, garlic mixture, chili powder thoroughly using your hands.

Note: It’s advisable to put on long gloves while making kimchi. This is to protect your hands from burns and stains!

5) Pack the kimchi, seal and place jar.
Let the jar stand at cool room temperature for 1 to 5 days in order to ferment.
Refrigerate when ready.

Kimchi is best eaten about 3 or 4 weeks after preparation.

Like I said earlier, Kimchi can be eaten alone but it is mostly added to soup, as a side dish, or with veggie burgers.
When Kimchi gets too fermented to eat alone, one can also make hot pots, flatcakes, dumplings with it.

Kimchi has been proven to be very much healthy. It helps in weight loss and having healthy skin. It is also full of probiotics, vitamin A, B and C, and antioxidants,
It’s also been discovered that it can even help cure some diseases like diabetes.

The vegetables (radish, cabbage and scallion) have amazing health benefits  which I’ll love to share with you one day.

Thanks for going with me to Korea 🥰😍Gamsahabnida🥰🥰❤

Author: Elizabeth Tolulope AshibuogwuHiya!!! I am Elizabeth Tolulope Ashibuogwu, a natural health enthusiast, health and lifestyle blogger, plant scientist, teen coach, volunteer, baker, and most importantly, a child of God and kingdom warrior. I'm an ardent advocate of using herbs for healing and health. Welcome to my space.