Kimchi
Perhaps the most iconic dish in the Korean cuisine is kimchi. This spicy ferment of various vegetables (most often bok choy) is eaten at every meal, with the average Korean consuming 40 pounds per year. Kimchi often reflects the season at which it is produced. In the spring, kimchi is made of fresh potherbs and vegetables and tends to not be fermented. In the summer, kimchi is made with radishes, cucumbers and other summer vegetables. Autumn and winter kimchi is made from cabbage and a variety of other vegetables such as radish, parsley, pine nuts, pears, chestnuts, shredded red pepper, garlic, and ginger. These were traditionally allowed to ferment in large ceramic pots that were kept at a constant temperature by being buried underground. While red chili pepper is the main seasoning in kimchi, it is only a recent addition, having been introduced to Korea only following Japanese invasions from 1592–1598. We developed the following vegan kimchi using as a starting point recipes provided by Copeland Marks in his 1999 The Korean Kitchen and Sandor Katz in his 2003 Wild Fermentation. In traditional kimchi fish sauce is used; here we use white miso which imparts a similar savory/salty flavor and more importantly also adds live microbial cultures into the mixture to assist in fermentation. This replacement is really nothing more than applying the Japanese concept of pickling vegetables with miso (misozuke) to kimchi production. We were quite pleased with the result. 1½ pounds bok choy, coarsely chopped Toss the bok choy with the salt. Place in a bowl and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, and squeeze out remaining water. Mix together garlic, ginger, green onion, daikon, miso, chili, and water to make a thick, chunky paste. Combine chili-garlic paste with wilted bok choy and mix well. Pack tightly into a quart jar. Cap the jar, but do not tighten. Put jar into a bowl, and let ferment at room temperature for 3 (70° F) to 5 days (60° F) days. After about 3 days the mixture will being bubbling, and will leak water and spice mix out of the top. Don't worry, this is what is supposed to happen and the reason that you've put the jar into a bowl. Once you can taste a bit of sour in the pickle, firmly cap the jar, wash the outside, and place in the refrigerator. Your kimchi should keep for at least 3-4 weeks. Archive |
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