Introduction to … Kimchi

Kimchi: A Global Fermentation Favorite

Kimchi, often seen as the spicier and more colorful sibling of sauerkraut, has steadily gained popularity in kitchens and restaurants worldwide. With its bold flavors and versatile applications, it’s no wonder kimchi is a staple side dish in Korea, served with every meal. Learning to make your own kimchi is not just an introduction to fermentation—it’s a step into a world of vibrant, tangy, and umami-rich creations.


Workshop Overview

Depending on the season, the workshop will explore different types of kimchi, we explore two classic kimchis and two unique variations. Each recipe introduces a distinct take on this iconic ferment.

Ferments you can prepare:

  1. Baechu Kimchi: The classic Chinese leaf kimchi.
  2. Tanggun Kimchi: A bright and crunchy carrot kimchi.
  3. Courgette Carpaccio Kimchi: A European-inspired zucchini twist.
  4. Oi-Sobagi Kimchi: Stuffed cucumber kimchi, perfect for quick gratification.

Tasting and Cooking with Kimchi

While the workshop focuses on making kimchi, we encourage you to explore its versatility at home by trying these delicious dishes:

  • Kimchi Jeon: Crispy pancakes made with aged 2-month-old kimchi.
  • Kimchi Mandu: Dumplings filled with tangy, crunchy kimchi for a burst of flavor.
  • Red Cabbage Kimchi: A bold, fermented delight aged for 3 months.
  • Courgette Carpaccio Kimchi: A fresh and tangy 3-week-old variation.

Detailed recipes for dishes like Kimchi Mandu and Kimchi Jeon are available on separate pages, offering you the chance to experiment and enjoy these creations in your own kitchen.


The Basics of Kimchi

A good kimchi starts with its paste. It’s the flavorful mixture that binds the vegetables together and determines the final taste. While the proportions can vary based on personal preference, here’s a reliable base recipe:

Kimchi Paste Ingredients (for 2kg of ferment):

  • 80g Korean chili powder & dried chili flakes (adjust to taste)
  • 120g finely chopped leek
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 20g grated ginger
  • 1 shot fish sauce or pickle juice
  • 1 tbsp sea salt (unrefined)
  • 1 tbsp unrefined sugar

Mix everything until it forms a cohesive paste. Adjust for spiciness, sweetness, or umami by tweaking the ingredients. Some variations might include bell peppers or additional spices for unique twists.


Recipes

Baechu Kimchi (Chinese Leaf)

When preparing most of the cabbage kimchis, it is important to first salt the cabbage for 24h. With a Chinese leaf it is reasonable to go for around 100g of salt for a batch of 2 kg. You pour the salt between the layers (not too meticulously) and pour over water so the Chinese leaf is covered, leave it for 24h at room temperature. When ready you clean it with cold water and rinse it multiple times. When you think you are ready you can taste a leave. The aim is to get something just a little bit too salty. If it taste just right, it means that you under salt it. Adjust by putting a bit more salt in the kimchi paste.

Now it’s time for the fun stuff, get a bit of the paste in your hand and start covering every leaf  with the paste, try to get some kimchi in every corner of the Chinese leaf and start packing them up into your container. Stack then tightly together till you have the juice covering the top leaf. Seal it and let it ferment for a couple of weeks

  1. Salt the cabbage: Use 100g of salt for 2kg of cabbage. Pour the salt between the layers and cover with water. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
  2. Rinse thoroughly until only slightly salty.
  3. Spread the paste generously between each leaf, ensuring full coverage.
  4. Pack tightly into a container, submerging the top layer in its juices.
  5. Ferment for a few days at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge.

Tanggun Kimchi (Carrot)

A carrot Kimchi, that can also be eaten without leaving them to ferment. Use halve of the amount of kimchi paste as for a Chinese leaf. For a stronger fermentation effect: Peel and shred the carrots add salt and cover with water, leave it for 10 hours and check the seasoning as said before.

When well seasoned, you just add the kimchi paste and mix thoroughly. Let it ferment for a couple of days and put it in the fridge, it will hold at least a month in the fridge

  1. Peel and shred carrots. Pre-salt them for 10 hours for a stronger fermentation effect.
  2. Rinse and mix thoroughly with the paste.
  3. Ferment for 2-3 days at room temperature, then refrigerate.

Courgette Carpaccio Kimchi (Zucchini)

This one was an own experiment turned right. At the moment there is an overproduction of small courgette and at the end of markets they throw them away. We took a couple of kg of those left overs and made a sliced courgette kimchi. Take a slicer and put it on a 3mm thickness, slice your courgette and mix it up with the kimchi paste (same amounts as for the Chinese leaf) Let it rest a bit so the juices get flowing. Now start stacking them up as a lasagne and put them to ferment for a week under a thick layer of kimchi juice. This kimchi gets mooch quit fast, so if you want a more crunchy texture put it as fast as possible in the fridge. You will not have that sour taste of classical kimchi but will have a nice mise en bouche that taste fresh and spicy.

  1. Slice courgettes into 3mm pieces.
  2. Mix slices with the paste and let sit until juices flow.
  3. Stack layers tightly in a container, ensuring all pieces are coated.
  4. Ferment for a week, refrigerating promptly for a crunchier texture.

Oi-Sobagi Kimchi (Stuffed Cucumber)

This one is for all you umami lovers. These stuffed cucumber kimchi are the fastest way to get somebody interested into kimchi. You simply wash the cucumbers and discard the ends. Get 4 fine cuts into the kimchi and put salt in it. Let it rest for about an hour so the salt can get some of the excess water of the cucumber. Wash the salt away and cut it in 3cm pieces. Use the cuts to put some kimchi paste in between, let that paste rest inside the cuts and enjoy after 30 minutes some wonderful earthy cucumber kimchi with a tangy end.

This picture is a variant i tried once, mixing a carrot and cucumber kimchi, stays good for a day or two, but it’s mostly instant snack!

  1. Slice cucumbers into 4 lengthwise cuts and salt them. Let sit for an hour.
  2. Rinse and fill cuts with the paste.
  3. Let rest for 30 minutes before enjoying.

Join the Fermentation Journey

Fermenthings is all about experimenting, sharing, and learning. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned fermenter, there’s always more to explore.

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Explore more recipes and fermentation insights on this wiki, and contribute your own experiments to grow the community’s knowledge.