Korean Dining Table, Unimaginable Without Kimchi!
For every Korean, there’s a food they love – kimchi. Beyond being simply a side dish, it’s also a symbol representing Korean identity. But is all kimchi the same? Let’s look into the world of kimchi, which has slightly different charms by region and household.
1. Kimchi, Its Diverse Spectrum
Kimchi is a food made by salting vegetables such as cabbage and radish, mixing them with various seasonings like red pepper powder, garlic, and fish sauce, and then fermenting them. There are hundreds of varieties, which can be broadly divided by region, ingredients, and preparation season.
Characteristics of Regional Kimchi
- Seoul-style Kimchi: Characterized by light and clean taste. Doesn’t use much fish sauce, and is relatively not spicy, making it enjoyable for everyone.
- Gyeonggi-style Kimchi: Similar to Seoul-style kimchi in being light, but there are many unique kimchis utilizing local specialties.
- Gangwon-do-style Kimchi: Due to the mountainous region’s characteristics, light kimchi using salt or beans rather than fish sauce has developed. Kimchi utilizing local specialties like potatoes and corn is also notable.
- Chungcheong-do-style Kimchi: Uses less fish sauce and tends to utilize various vegetables from the region. Its mild yet deep flavor is attractive.
- Jeolla-do-style Kimchi: Characterized by generous and flavorful taste. Various types and amounts of fish sauce are used, and red pepper powder is used generously, creating exceptional depth of flavor.
- Gyeongsang-do-style Kimchi: Uses a lot of fish sauce utilizing seafood like anchovies and clams, creating a refreshing and sharp taste. Tends to be spicy and salty.
- Jeju-do-style Kimchi: Thanks to unique climate and ingredients different from the mainland, there are many unique kimchis. Often uses salt or beans rather than fish sauce, characterized by pungent taste.
Types of Kimchi by Ingredients
- Cabbage Kimchi: The most representative kimchi. Takes charge of our dining tables in various forms such as fresh kimchi, whole cabbage kimchi, young radish kimchi, and young summer radish kimchi.
- Kkakdugi: Radish kimchi loved for its crunchy texture and refreshing taste.
- Chonggak Kimchi: Kimchi made with chonggak radish, also called altari radish, with excellent crunchy texture and sweet-spicy taste.
- Yeolmu Kimchi: A summer delicacy, characterized by refreshing and clean taste. Used mixed with rice or as bibimbap ingredient.
- Green Onion Kimchi: Characterized by pungent yet spicy taste. Freshly made green onion kimchi has an excellent taste.
- Mustard Leaf Kimchi: Kimchi loved by gourmets for its attractively pungent taste.
- White Kimchi: Made light without red pepper powder, enjoyable even for those who dislike spicy taste.
- Dongchimi: Kimchi made by putting whole radishes in refreshingly, with excellent broth taste.
Health Benefits of Kimchi, Do You Know Them?
Kimchi goes beyond being simply delicious food and provides much help to our health.
- Rich Probiotics: Kimchi generates abundant probiotics during fermentation. These probiotics have excellent effects in helping intestinal health and strengthening immunity.
- Various Vitamins and Minerals: Vegetables and seasonings in kimchi are abundantly rich in various nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C and calcium, iron.
- Anti-cancer Effect: The capsaicin component in peppers and allicin component in garlic contained in kimchi are known to have anti-cancer effects.
- Cholesterol Reduction: Specific components generated during kimchi’s fermentation process can help lower cholesterol levels.
- Diet Effect: Rich in dietary fiber providing satiety, and low in calories, making it effective for dieting.
2. Korean Soul Food, Kimchi Jjigae
Along with kimchi, a food indispensable from Korean dining tables is kimchi jjigae. With well-fermented kimchi, it’s a magical food you can whip up anytime. However, the taste of kimchi jjigae varies tremendously depending on how you cook it.
Delicious Kimchi Jjigae, The Secret is ‘Well-Fermented Kimchi’!
The most important factor determining the taste of kimchi jjigae is the fermentation level of the kimchi. It’s better to use kimchi that’s sufficiently fermented with a sour taste rather than freshly made fresh kimchi. If the kimchi is too sour, you can adjust the sourness by adding a little sugar.
How to Cook Kimchi Jjigae Faithful to Basics (For 2-3 servings)
Ingredient Preparation:
- Well-fermented kimchi 1/4 head (about 300g)
- Pork (shoulder or pork belly) 100-150g (optional)
- Tofu 1/2 block
- Onion 1/4
- Green onion 1/2 stalk
- Cheongyang pepper 1 (optional)
- Minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon
- Red pepper powder 1 tablespoon (adjust according to kimchi’s spiciness)
- Soy sauce or fish sauce 1 tablespoon
- Sugar a little (for adjusting sourness)
- Water or anchovy-kelp broth 3-4 cups (about 600-800ml)
Ingredient Preparation:
- Cut kimchi into bite-size pieces (about 2-3cm).
- If using pork, cut into bite-size pieces.
- Cut tofu into large pieces, and slice onion thinly.
- Slice green onion and pepper diagonally.
Stir-frying:
- Put pork in a pot and stir-fry over medium heat. (Skip if not using meat)
- When the meat’s surface is cooked, add sliced kimchi and stir-fry together. At this time, it’s good to add some kimchi juice.
- Continue stir-frying for about 2-3 minutes until the kimchi becomes soft.
Boiling:
- Pour water or broth into the stir-fried kimchi and meat and boil over high heat.
- When it boils, reduce heat to medium, and add minced garlic, red pepper powder, and soy sauce (or fish sauce).
- Add onion and continue boiling for about 10-15 minutes until kimchi becomes soft.
- Remove foam that rises to the middle for cleaner broth.
- If kimchi’s sourness is strong, adjust sourness by adding a little sugar.
Finishing:
- When kimchi is sufficiently cooked and broth flavor comes out, add tofu and boil once more.
- Finally, add green onion and Cheongyang pepper and boil for about 1-2 more minutes to finish.
Kimchi Jjigae, It’s More Delicious This Way!
- Pork Kimchi Jjigae: The most classic combination. The fatty taste of pork blends with kimchi’s rich flavor to present deep taste.
- Tuna Kimchi Jjigae: A combination that’s easy to make yet delicious. Using canned tuna brings out more flavor.
- Pork Tofu Kimchi Jjigae: Can be enjoyed heartily by adding plenty of tofu.
- Saury Kimchi Jjigae: It’s important to remove the fishy smell of saury, but when cooked well, it can produce refreshing and deep taste.
Common Mistakes and Precautions
- Too Spicy or Salty Kimchi Jjigae: If you cook without considering kimchi’s salinity or spiciness, it can become too salty or spicy. You should adjust taste by adding water or broth, or adding sugar and vegetables.
- Using Under-fermented Kimchi: The taste of kimchi jjigae is greatly influenced by kimchi’s fermentation level. Using under-fermented kimchi can produce a raw smell or less flavor.
- Failing to Adjust Amount of Garlic and Red Pepper Powder: Adding too much garlic or red pepper powder can produce a heavy taste, so it’s important to adjust appropriately considering kimchi’s seasoning and spiciness.
3. Kimchi and Kimchi Jjigae, Together with Korean Life
Kimchi and kimchi jjigae are deeply connected with Korean life beyond being simply food. In difficult times, a warm bowl of kimchi jjigae provided comfort, and on happy days, a generous table of kimchi enriched the feast.
Now feel the hidden charms of kimchi and kimchi jjigae once again. How about cooking a delicious pot of kimchi jjigae with well-fermented kimchi for dinner tonight?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. Is it okay to add sugar to kimchi jjigae?
A1. Yes, when kimchi jjigae is too sour or under-fermented and tasteless, adding a little sugar can neutralize the sourness and add rich flavor. However, adding too much can make it too sweet, so it’s better to adjust by adding small amounts.
Q2. What meat should I add to kimchi jjigae to make it delicious?
A2. Generally, pork shoulder or pork belly goes best with kimchi jjigae. The characteristic fatty taste of pork adds to the flavor of kimchi jjigae. You can also enjoy different kimchi jjigae by utilizing various ingredients such as tuna, saury, and beef.
Q3. Is there a way to ferment kimchi more deliciously?
A3. Rather than refrigerating immediately after making kimchi, leaving it at room temperature for about a day before refrigerating allows better fermentation and deeper taste. If using a kimchi refrigerator, it’s better to ferment slowly at low temperature.
