Easy to make, this Korean obsession
is healthful as well as delicious
BY JORDAN CHAMPAGNE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARGAUX GIBBONS
Kimchi is one of my favorite foods to think of as a medicine.
A simple combination of fresh vegetables, including cabbage, carrots and radishes, fermented in a salt water brine with generous amounts of ginger, chilis, onions and garlic, this spicy traditional Korean condiment is a very nutrient-dense food, rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s also teeming with beneficial bacteria and is very alkalizing and supportive to our digestive tracts and immune systems.
There is something so satisfying about eating this tangy, crunchy pickle preserve and feeling the sour heat on your throat when you have a cold.
I can remember one time I had the bright idea to bring along some kimchi on an airplane to help me stay healthy on my trip. After we reached altitude, I opened the jar under pressure from all the bacterial activity and instantly realized my mistake! “Oh no, oh no, please go back in there,” I said to the odors that had rushed out of the jar. Opening a jar of kimchi in the confined atmosphere of an airplane is one sure way to get the attention of people sitting nearby—either interest or horror! I decided to tighten down the lid and save my treat for when I was in the fresh, open air.
Being highly versatile, kimchi is found as a condiment at every Korean meal. On average, Koreans each eat 1/3 pound of kimchi per day, even more than the 1/4 pound of sauerkraut that the average German eats each day. Regional variations abound and there are many different recipes according to the season and climate where it is being made, but kimchi can make even a simple meal of rice turn into something quite substantial.
The base of kimchi is tender cabbage, like the Chinese (napa) cabbage we are familiar with, which has a more delicate texture than the hardier green cabbage heads used to make traditional European sauerkraut. The other ingredients often include daikon radishes, carrots and scallions but can include many different vegetables (loose leafy greens, mushrooms, peppers, turnips, cucumbers and pumpkin, for example), as well as fruits. Seafood is often added in the coastal areas of Korea.
At Happy Girl Kitchen Co. we prefer to make a very simple, clean-tasting kimchi with a good amount of ginger and chili. I love to put a lot of daikon radish in my kimchi, as digging daikon pieces from the jars is like going on a treasure hunt. Enjoy creating some of your own variations and make this Korean treasure your own!
RECIPE
Jordan Champagne is the co-owner and founder of Happy Girl Kitchen Co. She has a passion for preserving the local, organic harvest and loves sharing her secrets at the workshops she teaches across the region.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
