How to cook kimchi, a healthy dish from Korea

Kimchi is known to most people as the signature dish of Korea and is something every Korean household prepares almost every day.
In a previous article, I recommended the dish for its nutritional and other benefits, as it made from cabbage, radishes, garlic and ginger, which all help to boost the immune system.

Kimchi, a healthy dish known for its exciting flavour.

The wealth of strong antioxidants and healthy bacteria in kimchi encourages the production of collagen, which aids in improving skin elasticity, delaying skin ageing, and promoting healthy skin.
It is also rich in essential amino acids and minerals, such as iron, calcium and selenium, as well as the healthy bacterium Lactobacillus, which helps with digestion and prevents infections.
Kimchi is a low calorie, high fibre and nutritious side dish, and contains vitamins A, BI, B2 and Vitamin C.
There are 200 types of kimchi in Korea, including royal kimchi, wrapped kimchi, whole radish kimchi, and cubed radish kimchi.
In this article, I will describe the ingredients and how to make the dish in your own home so that more people can enjoy this healthy food.
The list of ingredients and instructions below were provided by Chef Jung Sung-jin, a Korean chef who recently demonstrated the preparation of the dish at the Korean Ambassador’s residence in Vientiane.
Ingredients:
Cabbage 3kg, sea salt 300g, water 1 litre, radish 600g, onion 100g, minced garlic 50g, minced ginger 5g, green onion 200g, brown sugar 25g, glutinous rice powder 30g (water 1/2 cup), fermented anchovy sauce (myeolchi aekjeot) 1/2 cup, fermented shrimp sauce (saeujeot) 1/4 cup, and red pepper powder (gochugaru) 150g.
Preparation:
First cut the cabbage lengthwise in half from the root downwards and gently pull the halves apart. Be careful not to cut the leaves.
Salt the cabbage by soaking it in salted water (dissolve 2/3 cup of sea salt or 200 grams in one litre of water). Sprinkle the rest of the sea salt (100 grams) on the white part of the cabbage. After two hours, turn the cabbage upside down to ensure it is thoroughly salted. The salting time may be adjusted according to the room temperature. It takes about three hours or more to salt the cabbage thoroughly.
Make the spice paste by mixing the water and glutinous rice flour and put it on medium heat until it starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and let it cool off completely. Add minced garlic, ginger, red pepper powder, brown sugar, fermented anchovy sauce and fermented shrimp sauce to the rice paste and stir into a smooth paste. Set aside until the cabbage is ready.
Prepare the vegetables and put them into the spice paste. Cut the onion into 0.3 cm thick strips. Cut the radish into strips. Cut the white parts of the green onion into small pieces and green parts into 4 cm pieces. Put the prepared onion, radish and green onion into the spice paste and mix them well.
Rinse the cabbage under cold water three times. Set it aside to drain in a colander for about one hour.
Mix the seasoning well by hand and spread it over each cabbage leaf.
Let it ferment for one day by putting the cabbage into a jar (or airtight container) and cover with a lid. Let the jar stand at room temperature for 24 hours and then store it in the refrigerator.
After the kimchi has been refrigerated, you may eat it at any time. However, lactobacillus kimchi is best formed after two weeks when stored in the refrigerator.
The ingredients vary according to each region and its local produce and traditions.
Kimchi can be eaten fresh but is normally consumed after fermenting for several days.
Enjoy your meal!

By Sisouphan Amphonephong
(Latest Update November 17, 2018)