Friday, February 5, 2016

Exercise 2 Recipe Research Bubba Spaulding

The food I researched is Kimchi. I found this side dish when I visited our local Chinese buffet restaurant. The funny thing about that is Kimchi is Korean side dish of fermented cabbage.


1 medium head (2 pounds) napa cabbage
1/4 cup sea salt or kosher salt (see Recipe Notes)
Water (see Recipe Notes)
1 tablespoon grated garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1 teaspoon grated ginger 
1 teaspoon sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons seafood flavor or water (optional, see Recipe Notes)
1 to 5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes
8 ounces Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks


  1. Slice the cabbage: Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each quarter crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips.
  2. Salt the cabbage: Place the cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Using your hands (gloves optional), massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit, then add water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy, like a jar or can of beans. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours.
  3. Rinse and drain the cabbage: Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times and drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and dry the bowl you used for salting, and set it aside to use in step 5.
  4. Make the paste: Meanwhile, combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, and seafood flavor (or 3 tablespoons water) in a small bowl and mix to form a smooth paste. Mix in the gochugaru, using 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy (I like about 3 1/2 tablespoons).
  5. Combine the vegetables and paste: Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and return it to the bowl along with the radish, scallions, and seasoning paste.
  6. Mix thoroughly: Using your hands, gently work the paste into the vegetables until they are thoroughly coated. The gloves are optional here but highly recommended to protect your hands from stings, stains, and smells!
  7. Pack the kimchi into the jar: Pack the kimchi into the jar, pressing down on it until the brine rises to cover the vegetables. Leave at least 1 inch of head space. Seal the jar with te lid.
  8. Let it ferment: Let the jar stand at room temperature for 1 to 5 days. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid; place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow.
  9. Check it daily and refrigerate when ready: Check the kimchi once a day, pressing down on the vegetables with a clean finger or spoon to keep them submerged under the brine. (This also releases gases produced during fermentation.) Taste a little at this point, too! When the kimchi tastes ripe enough for your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. You may eat it right away, but it's best after another week or two.
I chose this dish because even though this dis is spicy hot the flavor is amazing. This side dish is the first thing I get when I visit the Chinese restaurant. 

During the Vietnam war the Korean government ask the Americans to help for their soldiers to obtain this dish. This was supposed to boost the moral of the Korean soldiers. 


2 comments:

  1. I was a bit taken aback when I read that kimchi was made from cabbage, and not some kind of pasta. For me this is kind of the reverse for how I feel about many exotic foods. Normally an exotic food will look strange and unappetizing but taste delicious, but kimchi actually looks like it would taste good, until you take a close look at the ingredients. I'm sure that kimchi actually tastes great, but I am apprehensive of anything that is fermented or pickled before served. That being said, if I saw this at a buffet as you did, I would probably be willing to try at least a little bit, since I love spicy food, and because of your recommendation.




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  2. I have heard that this dish has is smelly, but have never actually smelled it myself. I guess that is from the fermented cabbage.

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