Kimchi~Kimchi~Kimchi~

Going to a foreign country means exploring the local traditions, trying to adapt to the environment and answering similar questions. Every country has its special touch and being able to enjoy or try to explore the local dishes/culture show respect to the locals and the locals will usually be extremely happy of our presence. In Korea, there are many traditional things that a foreigner could learn including taking ceramic classes, doing craftwork, making kimchi and even wearing traditional Korean dress, Hanbok.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to make Kimchi at Our Lady of Mercy Rehabilitation Center (성모자애 복지관)in Seoul. Basically there are about 180 types of Kimchi (fermented vegetables – check out the Kimchi Museum in COEX) and they vary from non-spicy to very spicy Kimchi with various types of vegetables. Koreans always make kimchi during this period and depending on the size of the family or organization, they will make enough to last for the whole winter or for the whole year. Making kimchi is not an easy job as the recipe varies according to the family recipe and the taste will never be the same. As for the younger generation, their mothers will usually make kimchi and send to them if they are not staying at home. Kimchi is their staple dish and Koreans usually eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with rice.  

When we reached the center, there were 2 teams at work, one was washing the cabbages and the other was drying the cabbages and mixing it with the kimchi paste. Kimchi process usually starts with sprinkling sea salt on cabbages to remove its water content for about 2 hours and then washing the salt off the cabbages. And then, the second part will be making the paste by slicing green onions, garlic, onions, ginger and radish, blending hot pepper flakes, salted shrimp, fish sauce and rice water together and then, mixing the paste and vegetables together.

Since the paste was already made when we arrived, we were assigned outside to squeeze the water out of cabbage in the morning and we had the chance to spread the kimchi paste on the cabbage after lunch. Working side by side with the older ladies meant getting the chance to learn how to make real kimchi. Making Kimchi was just not about getting the right ingredients and portion, it was also about applying the right amount of paste on all part of cabbage. Started from the outer leaf of the cabbage, slowly rubbed the kimchi paste inwards making sure all leaves were covered with certain amount of the paste. Not too little but not too much, just enough as the amount of paste would also affect the taste.

The older ladies worked really fast and that is Korean culture. While some of us were doing the spreading, others were making sure that we had enough paste, cabbages and plastic bags to contain the Kimchi. It was like in the wet market. Thank goodness the kitchen was big enough to contain us and we didn’t have to do it outdoor. Finally we finished after two hours, and then we started to clean up. By 2:30 pm, we were sitting down and eating some snacks. ^^ It was fun and for foreigners who have been in Korea for awhile but yet, haven’t tried making kimchi, I would recommend checking online for the opportunities to make kimchi.  Have fun and immerse yourself in Korea~