Have I got Kimchi for you ...

[Troy McClure]

Ok guys its time to get down to business - Kimchi. Kimchi is the name given to the Korean version of lactofermented vegetables. It can contain pretty much anything so is infinitely customisable.

However we'll start off with a standard recipe so we at least know what kimchi is supposed to taste like.

The guide I'm choosing to follow is this one which is hosted by the Yahoo Microbial Nutrition group and is written by Heidi Schuppenhauer.

kimchi.pdf

If you don't have it already you need the free Adobe Acroread to view this.

OK so you have the file up and running. Give it a quick read-through.

Now turn to page 3 and have a look at the ingredients. Now go shopping and get these. I'm going to take the following items as my "Base" for kimchi:

cabbage (preferably nappa - but any variety will do)
raddish (preferably daikon, and preferably with greens)
Spring/Green onions
garlic
ginger
carrots

Normally Koreans add several spices to their kimchi, usually including a fish stock. We are going to use either dried or salted Shrimp or Anchovies.

The Koreans also often add Red pepper - but korean pepper is supposedly much milder than other varieties, so I'm not including peppers.

I'm also going to add purple sprouting broccoli as it is a great raw food, but I want to ferment it to neutralise the phytonutrients.

If you dislike any of the ingredients then leave it out.

Got your shopping list?
Good. Now come back here after you have your ingredients and we will proceed.

[shelley]

I like the Asian red chili condiments. They are nice in small amounts. Not quite as attacking and sparky to the taste buds as cayenne.

And fermented fish sauce, Nam Plah or however it's spelled, is a wonderful salt. Really gives that exotic, Thai-ish flavor. Which reminds me- I have to write up a recipe for a Thai dish!

[Troy McClure]

There is a Malaysian sauce - Sambal - I think its sweet fermented fish sauce with chillies. HMMMMMM - its to die for. I was addicted to it for the longest time.

I'm hoping to get the same kind of hit from kimchee.

And perhaps even do some more fermented fish recipes.


P.S. I hope this time someone actually bothers to make the recipe with me - hint, hint.

[shelley]

hahaah - okay I take the hint! for me, Kim chee is hot weather food, not cold weather food. There's something about the combo of hot and sour that is perfect for muggy days.

[harmony]

Troy... I just want you to know I adore you!

LOL - Your first Fan!

You made me giggle at my desk. Any fella that can get so excited over fermentation. Well yours aces with me.

Thanks bunches!
I'm giving the saurkraut a go Sunday evening!
Wish me luck.
Kimchee perhaps next week end!

[Invincible]

Troy - when you've perfected this, please sell me some! I'm not kidding. I want some of this good stuff.

[Troy McClure]

Roll up, roll up folks ... I kid you not this is the greatest foodstuff ever.

Similarities to Mr P. T. Barnum aside -

Harmony - I think its great that you are starting off with sauerkraut. Make your mistakes with sauerkraut, so you'll be much more proficient by the time it comes to the effort/expense of making kimchee.

Invincible - selling the food goes against my principles - I want to empower you to make your own!! The only thing I'm selling is knowledge, and the entry price is free.

Shelley - I can't say I'm not a tad disappointed. Hot weather food? Bah humbug!! There is nothing like hot/spicy food in the winter time. Its mood food. Also winter time is the worst time for eating raw stuff, so fermented foods are a godsend - you get the nutrients of raw + the warming effect of cooked foods.

I want you all to know that I'm a typical guy - I love my food and hate cooking. But fermentation has been an absolute joy and a real eyeopener.

[itslaura]

Troy, you might just get me to actually make kimchee. I've had the spices from the Korean store for a few months, but haven't gotten around to buying the rest of the ingredients I need. Plus, it's just so easy to go to the store, fill up a container and take it home...no stress.

BTW, your link didn't work for me - got a document not found error.

[Troy McClure]

[Invincible]

[itslaura]

Okay, I got the recipe...I haven't looked that closely at it, but it looks like it has some great info. I especially like the part that went over what could go wrong. I'll put the making of kimchee on my to-do list!

[Troy McClure]

Update

Ok so I made my kimchi - only it went badly wrong!
Here are my mistakes for you to avoid:
1. I added way too much garlic - I used 3 bulbs! I would recommend much much less - e.g. 3 *cloves* - see NT recipe below.
2. I added way too much ginger - I used several thumb size pieces
3. I cut the ginger and garlic way too small - this intensified the flavour
4. I cut the cabbage way too small (I used a blender instead of doing it by hand).
5. I used way too much shrimp paste - an entire packet.
6. All in all there were too many competing flavours.

In the end it tasted like a gingery, garlicky, fishy, salty homogenous morass.

So go easy on the ginger & garlic. And don't cut them too small. And if you are not a regular user of shrimp paste, you might want to leave this ingredient out - either that or use it in moderation.

So I'm looking for a volunteer to show me how this recipe is made. I know it can be done.

The problem with the PDF recipe is that it is not idiot-proof - as I found out. It doesn't include explicit quantities - only a picture. So for completeness I give you the Nourishing Traditions recipe to give you a ball-park idea of the quantity of spices to use:

Nourishing Traditions Kimchi

1 head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
1 bunch green/spring onions chopped
1 cup carrots grated
1/2 cup daikon radish grated (optional)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 tablespoon sea-salt
4 tablespoons whey (if not available an additional tablespoon of salt)

Note that NT uses far less garlic & ginger, and doesn't use shrimp paste at all. A far safer recipe.

[itslaura]

[Troy McClure]

Hi Laura,
I used shrimp paste. It was brownish in colour. I actually quite liked the smell in the packet. But when fermented with too much garlic and too much ginger, it just tasted foul.

Also at the end of the day it was processed food - and I don't like adding processed food to a ferment.

My advice is to make the Cortido - its much easier to make, the ingredients are far easier to get hold of, and it smells delicious. I can't wait for it to finish fermenting!!

[Invincible]

I found some packaged Korean Kimchi in my local Chinese spermarket. It said it was fermented and unpasturised, imported from Korea. It's made of chinese cabbage, ginger, chillis and salt. I've had a couple of tablespoons with lunch 2 days running. It gives me a stomach ache. Is this normal when we are getting more microbes?