Kimchi

Hi from out of nowhere!

I is back.

Let's see how long this'll last LOL.  So, I've been craving something lately.  Something that I haven't made in a while.  Something time consuming to make, but oh-so-delicious.

Kimchi.

What is it may you ask?  It is fermented, spicy vegetable goodness.  Yes, I said it, FERMENTED.  But it isn't as horrible as you may think. It's actually really good for you, and in Korea, it has been said to have great health benefits, much similar to the benefits of yogurt.

Kimchi ingredients waiting to be chopped up

The most common kind is made from napa cabbage, or as we call it in Hawaii, Chinese cabbage.  You take the cabbage, let it sit in a salt bath until its bulk is cut in half, but still crunchy.  This process takes about an hour and a half.  Every thirty minutes you turn the cabbage so everything is evenly salted.  After the bath, you rinse it several times.  For this Kimchi making extravaganza, I decided to make napa cabbage kimchi AND daikon, or radish, kimchi.

The salted cabbage, along with other vegetables added for crunch and color variety, such as carrot matchsticks, daikon (radish) and green onions, is then mixed with dried chili peppers, a paste made from ground onions, garlic and ginger, and "porridge" comprised of water, sweet rice flour (used to make mochi), and a little sugar.

Daikon and Cabbage kimchi mixed and ready to be put into jars!

STOP.......Fermentation time!

After everything's all mixed together, you pack it carefully into some jars, let it sit out on the counter for a day or two, then put it into the fridge for another few days to finish the fermentation process.

What's left as the end result is this spicy, slightly sour, vegetable goodness that accompanies almost any entree, but can even be so satisfying by just eating it with a plain bowl of hot, steamy rice!

Yes, the process seems lengthy and tiring, but I can promise you that the end result is worth it.

Here is the link to the recipe that I started off using.  Maangchi is a Youtube personality that shows the world how to cook delicious Korean food!  Her website and Youtube channel are both a great resource for those who would like to learn more about korean cooking.  I've tried many of her recipes with success!  If you decide to try and make some kimchi, this is a good recipe for older kimchi that you'd like to get rid of from a huge batch.  Kimchi stew.  OMGAH...sooooo good!  Soooo easy too!

I started a Word document to document my kimchi experiments.  I'm trying to come up with my own recipe that produces the perfect kimchi results that suits and satisfies my palette.  Maybe when it is perfected, I'll post the recipe???  We shall see!  Right now I have my batch sitting on the counter for fermentation.  I'll post results!

Happy Kimchi Making, and wish me luck on this batch!!!!

Fermenting on the counter.  OMNOMNOM.  Can't wait!