Kimchi

Kimchi is a famous food from Korea. It is made by mixing vegetables with salt, garlic, and red chili pepper. The mix is then left to sit for days or weeks so it can ferment. Kimchi has a spicy, sour, and crunchy taste.

Making Kimchi

The most common kimchi is made from napa cabbage. First, the cabbage is soaked in salty water. Then a paste made of garlic, ginger, chili powder, and fish sauce is rubbed all over the leaves. It is packed into jars and left to ferment. Families in Korea often make a lot of kimchi in the fall to last all winter.

Kimchi in Meals

Korean families eat kimchi with almost every meal. It is served in small bowls as a side dish. People also use kimchi in soups, stews, and fried rice. There are over 200 kinds of kimchi. Some are made with radish, cucumber, or other vegetables instead of cabbage.

Fun Facts

• There is a whole museum about kimchi in South Korea.
• Kimchi is so important that Koreans once said 'kimchi' instead of 'cheese' for photos.
• Making kimchi together as a family is called kimjang.

Did You Know?

South Korean astronauts brought special space kimchi with them when they traveled to the space station.