KFood Kimchi, and 3 aged Kimchi

In Korea, when winter comes, I feel it is time to make kimchi. Kimjang is made by making kimchi, a representative Korean dish that is the soul food of Koreans. Kimchi and kimjang culture, which embody the Korean lifestyle, have recently been loved all over the world. In addition, as a fermented food, it was recognized for its nutritional excellence and was selected as one of the world's top five health foods. It was also recognized for its social and cultural value and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.

김치 없이는 못 살아 정말 못 살아
한국인들의 김치 사랑

I can't live without kimchi, I really can't live without it.
Koreans love kimchi

Korean soul food, kimchi

If you add a piece of spicy kimchi to steaming white rice, you'll have a bowl of rice in no time! Kimchi, Korea's representative food, has cultural meaning beyond food for Koreans. Kimchi, which has been enjoyed for a long time, fully embodies the Korean lifestyle. It can be said that most Koreans grew up eating kimchi as a side dish with rice, so it is truly a soul food. Perhaps that's why kimchi is considered a nostalgia and longing for the taste of mother's cooking and the family dinner table. He even sings the song ‘I can’t live without kimchi, I really can’t live’, and when taking pictures, he raises the corners of his mouth and shouts ‘kimchi’ instead of ‘cheese.’ Numerically, about 1/6 of the approximately 600 types of Korean food are kimchi, and it is said that each person consumes about 18 kg of kimchi per year, so Koreans' love for kimchi is truly amazing. Is it because of this great love? Now, kimchi is becoming a food that captivates the taste buds not only in Korea but also around the world.

An all-rounder of taste and nutrition

Selected as one of the top 5 health foods in the world

Kimchi, a food made by fermenting salt-pickled cabbage or vegetables with seasonings, is not only delicious but also nutritious. In 2008, the American health research journal Health selected kimchi as one of the world's top five health foods, along with Spanish olive oil, Greek yogurt, Indian lentils, and Japanese natto. Kimchi is made with at least 15 ingredients and its main ingredients are cabbage, which is rich in vitamins and fiber, and radish, which aids digestion. In particular, fermented kimchi mixed with salted fish produces numerous lactic acid bacteria, which are excellent for atopic skin and reduce stress. It is also said to be effective in suppressing cancer cells, aiding in diet due to the capsaicin contained in red pepper powder, aiding digestion and diuresis, improving anemia, and acting as a source of vitamins, so there is no reason not to like the versatile kimchi, right?

Changes and various types of kimchi

The kimchi we usually enjoy is cabbage kimchi with red seasoning. Kimchi, which has been a side dish for Koreans for over a thousand years, has come in many forms, not just red seasoned kimchi. Before the Three Kingdoms period, vegetables were eaten pickled in salt, similar to pickled vegetables, and today's kimchi with red seasoning began to be eaten when red peppers were introduced to Korea after the Japanese invasions of Korea.

Because the spiciness and aroma of red pepper reduced the fishy taste of seafood, salted seafood, a food made by fermenting seafood, could be added to kimchi. As a result, kimchi developed into a unique fermented food unique to Korea that mixes vegetable ingredients such as vegetables and animal ingredients such as salted fish, and the form of today's kimchi was completed.

There are endless types of kimchi depending on the ingredients, and the types of salted fish and seasonings vary depending on the region, so even kimchi with the same name has its own taste and characteristics. In the southern region, salted anchovies are used mainly to make it spicy and salty, while in the cold northern region, salted fish and red pepper powder are not used as much, so it is light and less spicy.

The changing modern kimchi culture
Easy to enjoy kimchi

Kimchi and kimchi culture, which were family food and neighborhood culture, are gradually changing in modern times to reflect the busy and practical lifestyles of modern people. In the past, you had no choice but to make and eat large quantities of kimchi yourself, but now convenient and diverse kimchi products have appeared for busy modern people. You can now buy and eat various types of kimchi in the amount you want. In particular, pocket-shaped kimchi products sold in small portions can be seen as products that reflect the recent increase in single-person households. Although modern people's consumption of kimchi is decreasing, according to data from the World Institute of Kimchi, the size of the domestic packaged kimchi market grew from 184.3 billion won in 2016 to 242.2 billion won in 2018, showing an average annual growth rate of more than 10%. I can see that you are enjoying it.

With the continued Korean Wave, interest in K-food is also increasing around the world. Kimchi, K Food’s signature menu item, is no exception. In addition, K food kimchi is becoming more and more famous as the number of millennials who want to experience new cultures through K-pop stars' social media mukbangs and menu recommendations increases. In line with this trend, various changes such as ‘fusion’ have occurred in kimchi. By combining it with other dishes and storage methods, it adds to the enjoyment of eating kimchi and adds familiarity to foreigners who are unfamiliar with kimchi. ‘Chicle’, a combination of kimchi and pickles, is a representative example.

I hope to you have 3 years old kimchi (

I am 50 years old, and the healthiest and most unique kimchi I have ever eaten is aged kimchi. This is kimchi that was taken out and eaten three years after it was made. Because it has been stored in the ground for a long time, it has a tangy and really clean taste. (3년 넘은 김치, 3년 묵은지)

How to express it is that carbonated soda is clean and sharp, but the sugar remains on the tip of the tongue and feels a bit sticky. However, if you eat well-stored kimchi 3 years after making it, you will experience the ultimate in refreshing and cleanliness without this stickiness. can.

I can't get the kimchi (aged kimchi) that I eat after being stored in the ground for 3 years out of my head. It's truly an unforgettable taste.

Most of the kimchi distributed in the market is mainly kimchi that was made not long ago. To age kimchi for three years, most of the ingredients used are kimchi, salt, red pepper powder, and radish, but no salted fish.

I hope you are lucky enough to experience it at least once. Don't forget it. When you come to Korea, be sure to try 3-year-old kimchi.

Kimchi that is buried underground for three years and taken out three years later is called three-year-old kimchi, or aged kimchi.