Recipe

How to make your own Korean kimchi

It is believed that kimchi originated during the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE – 668) when picking vegetables helped to preserve food for longer. The earliest kimchis consisted of radishes fermented in brine, although this changed as new vegetables such as cucumbers were brought to Korea during the Goryeo period (918-1392). Gochugaru, a staple ingredient of modern spicy kimchi, was not introduced to Korea until the 17th century and traditional tongbaechu kimchi, made with napa cabbage, was not invented until the 19th century. Full of healthy bacteria, probiotics, vitamins and minerals, kimchi is a mainstay of Korean culinary culture and heritage. There are hundreds of different types of kimchi with regional and seasonal variations, but the following recipe is for simple cabbage kimchi, which is the perfect place to start for beginners.