There are two kinds of Koreans: those who prefer new kimchi, and those who prefer old kimchi. There's a marked difference between the two [kimchis, not Koreans]. Old kimchi is more sour and meandering in taste, while new kimchi is sharp, spicy, and quite definite. I recently discovered that I am a new kimchi man.
I think that kimchi is far and away the most fascinating cultural trait in this country. As I've said before, everyone eats it everyday. Moreover, it doesn't seem to be something that most people buy in stores. You certainly can, but that's kind of like buying a store-made Turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. Kimchi season, as I would call it, is an incredibly mysterious and beautiful time in Korea.
Every winter, the vast majority of Koreans prepare themselves for "the great Kimchi make." They buy/harvest a mountain of cabbage, hot sauce, and god knows else each family puts into it's own private kimchi batch. Then many family members sequester themselves in and around the kitchen for an entire day. A year's worth of kimchi comes out of this day. Like I said, almost every Korean family does this every year.
Each family does it differently too. It means something very important when, at a casual lunch, somebody busts out "their" kimchi to share. Basically they're sharing with you something that is, more or less, a huge statement about the Korean-ness of their family. Heavy huh?
Harvest season also means a glut of new kimchi. To old kimchi people it's a frustrating time of year, but not to freshies. No way, I just can't get enough of this crisp goodness everyday, and I can get it everyday too. Last week, my co-teacher presented me with a monster tupperwear full of her family's personal batch. Mmm. I smiled hearty as I chopped up the leaves to a little Otis Redding. I'm glad that I suffered unknowingly through the old kimchi season, and now I can look forward to months of filling my chop sticks with abandon.
I'm so glad that you wrote about the magic and tradition behind kimchi becuase I didn't really know what it was all about! It is mentioned in my absolute favorite food book ("The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" by Jonny Bowden) and it doesn't sound very appetizing. My book says that Koreans eat kimchi in pancakes, on pizza, in soup, and with fried rice. Is that true? I'm very curious about kimchi. It even says that Koreans say "kimchi" when they are getting their pictures taken, like we say "cheese?!"
ReplyDeleteOverall it's considered a nutritional powerhouse. The three main ingredients cabbage, onions, and garlic have major anticancer properties and are proven to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce heart disease. Secondly, because kimchi is naturally fermented it is loaded with lactobacillus probiotics (like those found in miso and yogurt) that improve immune function and decrease inflammation. Kimchi has high levels of vitamin C, calcium, potassium, iron, the B complex vitamins, and dietary fiber. Yay! I don't know if all of this really interests you, but I find it fascinating! Bradford, you're' so lucky that you get to enjoy this great little dish everyday! Maybe when you get back to the States you can make some of your own.....
And I can try it.