It started with the harvesting of the enormous, organic, green cabbages at the eco-village farm earlier that day.
We pulled up in our tour van to the restaurant we would eat at that night, equipped with cabbages from which to make kimchi. Cutting boards, knives, and cabbages were placed in front of us on the outdoor picnic table in front of the restaurant.
The owner of the restaurant came outside and set us up with the necessary supplies and guided us through the process.
Gloved and ready, we pulled off the outer leaves and any dried or brown tips. The giant cabbages were cut vertically in half and then a slit of about two inches was made into the interior of each cabbage.
Then a large silver bowl filled with water was placed on the table, and we all took turns rinsing and then salting each leaf with coarse sea salt. We placed these leaves in a container and covered them with a ceramic pot to ferment. We were then given cabbage which had already reached its fermentation point, to smother in the flavor medley that was to become the hallmark of the kimchi.
We julienned carrots, onions, radishes, apples (which was surprise to me) and spring onions and tossed them in the bowl with the chili pepper powder, garlic, ginger, anchovy paste, and vinegar. The restaurant owner had previously measured out the appropriate portions for us, so we didn't need to do much figuring. As you can see, there is a beautiful dance of flavors that come together to create this Korean staple.
Next step was to rub the completed sauce into each leaf, roll it up like a blanket over a baby, and set it in its wide ceramic dish with its friends. I tried the kimchi, which was tasty but a bit too spicy for my liking. I gasped for water and let the rest of the group finish up the job.
The colors involved were quite something. And also, as I mentioned, every flavor was represented in its making, which I always think makes for a complete dish. The coolest thing about kimchi is its reportedly remarkable health benefits such as its high lactobacilli content which is great for digestion and fighting infection. It's also high in vitamins A, B, and C.
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| Salting the cabbage |
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| Kimchi ingredients |
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| Kimchi prep |
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| Self-explanatory? |
-Anina
For related articles on kimchi, follow these links:
http://happybeareats.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-kimchi-is-good-for-soul.html
http://happybeareats.blogspot.com/2011/11/cabbage-kimchi-or-how-i-learned-to-stop.html
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