Kim Chi

Kim Chi is a traditional Korean dish that usually consists of a variety of vegetables, and various spices, all consumed after a fermentation period of a few months. It can also refer to various blends of these ingredients, unfermented as well. Kim Chi is still being made using the traditional method of storing used to be stored in huge jars buried underground to maintain a consistent temperature of fifty-five degrees.

My method consists of chopping up everything, mixing it, then storing it in a large container in the fridge. Usually it is consumed within a week, but has lasted more than a month! The vinegar used in this dish prevents the ingredients from spoiling, and the fridge keeps it fresh and cool.  This recipe has a large amount of fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh garlic, and spices, things that are not as prevalent as they should be in our American diet.

My tutor found out about Kim Chi when we were trying a raw foods diet. It was perfect to eat and fit within the parameters we set for ourselves during the diet. My first experience making Kim Chi was very eventful. Half way through cutting up the fruits I let my thumb get in the way of a heavy Wusthof knife, and I sliced the corner of my thumb almost all the way off, down to just a thin piece of skin holding it on. Thankfully one of my friends is a doctor, and she sewed me right back up when I called her and told her what happened. All this to say, yes you will cut yourself, but you can prevent it by keeping your fingers out of the way... at all times.

Here is a simply wonderful recipe that I was able to stumble across. I have posted only the main directions, but if you have a desire to get really in depth about the process, the energy, and the tradition behind it, and the step-by-step instructions about how to prepare each vegetable and ingredient, here is a link to the site. http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/UltimateKimchi.html

Now my friends enjoy and give this amazing process a try!

Ingredients

Directions

Organic foods 1 Napa cabbage 3 Carrots 2 Cucumbers 3 Heads broccoli 2 Bunches scallions 1 Apple 2 Small oranges 1 Lemon *Health food store Unrefined rice vinegar Unrefined sesame oil Kosher salt (or sea salt) *Korean foods store Crushed red pepper (coarse) Crushed garlic Sesame seeds (Roasted more flavorful. Raw may be healthier.) Cooking tools Large mixing bowl Small mixing bowl Cutting board Cutting knife

Rinse all vegetables in water and salt. Cut out stem of cabbage with a V-notch, then cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise once again, and slice crosswise into strips. Cut up the cabbage stem into thin strips. Sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt. Scoop and stir with hands. Let cabbage sit while peeling carrots and cucumber. Peel carrots completely. Take strips from the cucumbers. Section the carrots and cut into thin strips. Section the cucumbers and cut into thin strips. Cut broccoli heads into byte-size pieces, cut stalks diagonally to make thin oval slices. Add salt. Scoop and stir. Trim scallions, slice the white part down the center, then cut into strips diagonally. Core and dice the apple and add. Skin the oranges and lemon. Slice the oranges, separate into pieces, and add. Put a handful of chili pepper into a sauce bowl. Add from a third as much to an equal amount of sesame seeds, and crushed garlic. Add enough sesame oil to moisten everything, and approximately an equal amount of rice vinegar (enough to make a paste). Dice the lemon and squeeze into the bowl, add the remaining pieces. Mix the ingredients in the sauce bowl to make paste, and then gently spread the paste into the vegetable bowl.

* Substitution notes:  While you do not have to go to a health foods store and a Korean market to find these ingredients, if you have access to them I highly encourage getting them there. I found the sesame seeds raw at Trader Joes, I crushed my own garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes can be found at any food store. The hardest things to find were the unrefined sesame oil, and rice vinegar. You can use the refined kind but just know it will not be ‘traditional’ and all the health benefits will not be as potent. But, it still tastes great and is a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into you diet.

The camera died before I was able to take a picture of the finished process. But, here are a few photos of the process, enjoy.

 

 

 

Writers Note: Every chef has recipes that they use to create amazing meals. Whether it is memorized or in a special book, everyone uses recipes. Do not think that because you are using a recipe you are a failed cook, but you are one who is learning the craft. I have only recently been able to start expanding the recipes when I see them and make my own substitutions. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything, even cooking.