Kimchi – the distant cousin of sauerkraut

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made with fermented vegetables that is VERY good for you. It is generally pretty hot, but when you make it at home, you can tone that down to suit your own preferences.

Napa¹ cabbage is the preferred cabbage for a number of reasons. Its unique structure and texture, with thick fibrous white ribs at the bottom and the tender green ruffled leaves at the top are the perfect combination. The thick ribs respond well to the salt being used to draw out excess water (similar to what salt does to cabbage when making sauerkraut), while keeping a pleasant, juicy crunch. And the ruffled leaves act like pockets trapping the thick glutinous chili paste across the surface of every layer.

The structure of napa cabbage also naturally holds wild lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which is essential for proper fermentation, turning the sugars and seasonings into a tangy, probiotic-rich food.

Richly seasoned with garlic, ginger and chili peppers, kimchi is low in calories, an excellent dietary fiber and a rich source of vitamins A, B, C and K.

Anti oxidants from the garlic and pepper help fight chronic inflammation, and regularly eating kimchi is linked to better cholesterol management and lowered blood pressure. Kimchi is most known to support gut health improving digestion and increasing immune health as a fermented food. It undergoes lacto-fermentation, producing live lactic acid bacteria and probiotics that help maintain a balanced gut microbiome.

Kimchi is indisputably the national dish of South Korea, with most Koreans eating it daily – in fact, with every meal.

Making traditional nappa cabbage KIMCHI at home involves a three step process: gently removing excess water in the cabbage (and then removing as much of the salt as possible), preparing a flavourful spice paste, and allowing it to ferment.

SPICE:

• The traditional spice mix includes an ingredient most North American kitchens do not have: GOCHUGARU is a traditional Korean red chili powder made from sun-dried peppers with the seeds mostly removed. It’s fruity, slightly smoky, and mildly sweet taste balances with a gentle but distinct heat which is less sharp than cayenne pepper (or generic crushed red pepper).
• Since most of us don’t have this in our kitchens we can substitute with a mixture of 4 parts Paprika with up to 1 part cayenne (or similar) powder.
• In my recipe below, I used crushed red pepper flakes just because it’s what I had on hand. Crushed Red Pepper is made from a dried and coarsely crushed blend of cayenne and other varieties of peppers.
  
  Start with that, and then adjust the addition of cayenne to your tastes and preference, but don’t be a sissy. Kimchi is supposed to be hot.

I have 2 recipes here for you. The first is based on the traditional Korean Kimchi, while the second is much more westernized. Be brave, try the first one first.

Compared to the simple ingredient list and one step instructions of sauerkraut, kimchi at first appears pretty complicated. Full disclosure: the whole process will take you about 2 hours, but the steps are easy enough (mostly chopping) and can be carried out while the napa cabbage sits and waits for you.

#1 Recipe: Simple but traditional Korean Kimchi

Makes about 2 quarts of kimchi.

Ingredients:

1 head napa cabbage (between 2-3 pounds)
2 tablespoons pure (preferably coarse) salt

Slurry for seasoning paste
2 tablespoons rice flour² (or all-purpose flour) + 1 cup water + 1 tablespoon sugar

SEASONING MIX for Kimchi paste
2 – 3 tablespoons Miso³ (or 1/4 cup fish sauce if you like it)⁴
4 – 6 garlic cloves (depending on size)
1 inch piece ginger peeled (or 1 teaspoon ginger paste)
1/2 cup water
½ med onion, cut into chunks
½ med fresh apple (the natural sugar will give a kick-start to the fermenting process). No need to peel as it will be pureed.
spice: 4 tablespoons paprika + 1 tablespoon crushed pepper flakes (you can always add more when you taste test it, but its kinda hard to remove so start with 1 T and go from there)
OR cayenne powder
OR ½ cup Gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes)⁵

Other vegetables:
1 medium carrot peeled and cut into matchsticks
4-6 green onions sliced diagonally in 1 inch pieces
1 medium red, orange or green pepper, cut into thin matchstick sized pieces to match the carrots
*optional: in the summer, add a handful of fresh garlic chives chopped
or if you can find it, Korean radish or kohlrabi peeled and cut into matchsticks (not more than 1 cup)

Directions

1. Cabbage: Remove any damaged outside layers. Wash the outside. Cut lengthwise into quarters, removing cores. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1½ inch (bitesize) pieces.
   Transfer the cabbage to a large bowl and sprinkle salt over top. Toss well to evenly coat, and gently massage. Set aside.
   Let stand for 2 hours, gently massaging the cabbage half hour or so – so all cabbage is salted evenly. You’ll see the water draining from the cabbage.
2. Slurry:
   put 2 tablespoons rice flour in small sauce pan over med/high heat. Add 1 cup water while whisking to prevent lumps forming. As the slurry thickens, add 1 tablespoon sugar, continuing to whisk. Turn the heat down a bit, continuing to whisk to prevent lumping for another couple minutes. When the slurry is thick with a slightly translucent look, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. Preparing other vegetables:
   – peel carrot and cut into matchstick size pieces
   – slice green onions diagonally into 1 inch (2.4 cm) pieces
   – if you’re using a pepper, wash, and cut into thin matchstick size pieces
   – if you’re using any other vegetable, do the same (no more than about 3/4 cup each)
   Set aside.

1. Kimchi seasoning paste:
   Add the dry spice mix to cooled slurry/sugar mixture. Stir well.
2. Using a food processor or blender – combine peeled garlic cloves, peeled ginger piece, onion pieces, 1/2 an apple and slurry-spice mixture. Puree. Add 2 tablespoons miso (to begin with) and 1/2 cup water (to begin with).
   Puree mixture again, adding more water only if needed. Remember this is supposed to be more of a paste consistency.
3. Taste test. Add one more miso if desired, one tablespoon at a time, taste testing. Puree again.

Personally I don’t like the vegetables to be so smothered in the paste that all I can taste is the seasoning. You can add more or less – its your kimchi.

RINSING THE CABBAGE

After about two hours, strain the salted cabbage, then rinse thoroughly with cold water. Strain again. Rinse again and strain again to remove as much salt as possible.
Drain thoroughly and gently squeeze out excess water.

Add the matchstick vegetables to well drained cabbage. Toss to mix well.

Pour seasoned paste over top and using your hands, gently massage the paste into vegetables, ensuring each piece is evenly coated.

Transfer the kimchi to large wide mouth glass jar. Press mixture down firmly by hand to remove air pockets and to cover in liquid.  Leave a very generous head space to allow for bubbling during fermentation. Cover with air tight lid.

You can serve kimchi immediately, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. 
Ferment the remaining kimchi on the counter for two days, opening the jar once or twice a day to allow built up air to escape.
Taste test each day – being sure to use a clean utensil when you do.
It should start to be a little more ‘tangy’ in the second day. Move to fridge. 
It will take about two weeks to reach its ideal fermentation.  It should smell and taste pleasantly sour. 
Store in the refrigerator, where it will continue to slowly ferment becoming more sour over time. Remove the lid every once in awhile to let built up air from fermenting escape.
It can be enjoyed at every stage!
Whenever you take kimchi from the jar, press the remainder vegetables back down so they stay covered in the sauce as much as possible.

#2 Recipe: Westernized Kimchi

Ingredients

1 head napa cabbage (2-3 pounds)
2 Tbsp pure salt

2 Tbsp grated ginger (peeled)
5 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp miso stirred into 2 Tbsp water to create a slurry
1 Tbsp sugar
1 – 2 tsp red pepper flakes (or cayenne)
2 Tbsp paprika
1 medium carrot cut into match sticks
6 sliced green onions cut into 1-2 inch (2.5 cm) diagonals

Directions:

Cut washed cabbage down the middle, removing core. Cut each half down the middle again, and begin cutting into bite sized pieces (1 1/2 inches). Transfer cabbage pieces to large bowl or tub and sprinkle salt over top. Toss by hand to ensure all cabbage is coated. Let sit for two hours, tossing a few times.

After two hours, strain cabbage water out and rinse well with cold water. Strain again, rinse again, strain again.
Add green onions and carrot pieces. Mix well.
Add grated ginger, minced garlic, sugar, paprika and red pepper or cayenne powder. Toss well.

If needed, add a tablespoon cold water to the mix and incorporate well with hands.
Scoop into jar and press down, covering with red paste liquid.

Let it sit on the counter for a couple days, then taste test it. It should have a slight tangy taste. Put it into the fridge to store. You can start using it right away.
It will continue to ferment in the fridge at a slower rate.

smaller amount for 1 quart
1 pound napa cabbage cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Tbsp coarse salt

1 Tbsp fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp miso + 1 Tbsp water mixed together
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper seeds
1 Tbsp paprika
1-2 sliced green onions
1 medium carrot julienned

What is the difference between Sauerkraut and Kimchi?

While both sauerkraut and kimchi are ancient methods of fermenting cabbage using lactic acid bacteria, they developed independently in different parts of East Asia rather than descending from one another. Both are extremely nutritious, and help immensely with gut health. The vibrant colour of kimchi and the savoury taste of its pungent spice varies greatly with the simple taste of sauerkraut.

• Kimchi: Kimchi originated in Korea, with early roots and preservation techniques dating back 1,000 to 4,000 years. Traditionally, Korean households packed salted vegetables into clay jars and buried them underground to survive harsh winters.

Typically features napa cabbage or radishes combined with a complex, spicy paste of red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, green onions, and fish sauce or seafood. It is heavily integrated as a daily cornerstone of Korean cuisine

• Sauerkraut: Historical and culinary records trace its earliest roots to ancient China—where laborers built the Great Wall and fermented shredded cabbage.

Uses a minimalist recipe consisting primarily of shredded cabbage and salt, relying strictly on its own juices for lacto-fermentation. It was later popularized in Central and Eastern Europe (including Germany and France) as a savoury accompaniment to meats like bratwurst and pork.

learn more about sauerkraut here

Ways to use Kimchi:
Serve with fried rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Serve over top scrambled eggs in a breakfast burrito.

I hope you’ll give Kimchi a try at home. And I hope you’ll tell me about it.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

FOOTNOTES

1. Napa cabbage is also known as Chinese cabbage. The name comes from the Japanese word “nappa” which means leafy vegetable. It is an elongated, barrel-shaped cruciferous vegetable with ruffled, pale-green leaves and thick, crisp white ribs. It has a much milder, sweeter taste and a more tender texture than standard round green cabbage. It is famously used in kimchi, stir-fries, hot pots and salads. ↩︎
2. Don’t go out and buy rice flour for this. All you need is a high powered blender to make your own. Using DRY rice of your choice, start with 1/2 cup at a time to ensure you get an even grind. Start on a low speed, then gradually crank it up to the highest speed. Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds (or up to 4 minutes depending on your machine) until it transforms into a powder. Sift and return any coarse powder to the blender if necessary. Keep your fresh rice flour in an airtight container like a glass jar.
   If this is not an option, substitute in regular white flour. ↩︎
3. white Miso paste is significantly milder, sweeter, and more delicate than dark miso paste. So probably a dark (red) paste would be the best option for kimchi. ↩︎
4. Personally, I do not like fish sauce in kimchi. I find the flavour too over powering, so I choose to use a miso paste. ↩︎
5. Gochugaru is the definitive spice for Kimchi (so say Koreans and they should know), but it comes in such a big bag that I think it’ll last me forever, so I haven’t even tried it yet. I’m weakening though. I may soon take the plunge, and then be sorry I waited this long lol. ↩︎