Kimchi

Kimchi is the national dish of Korea, spicy fermented vegetables that are an inseparable part of almost every Korean meal. Napa cabbage most often serves as the base, though hundreds of variations exist — with daikon radish, cucumbers, spring onion.

The preparation combines salting and lactic-acid fermentation. First the cabbage is salted so that it releases its juice and becomes pliable, and then it is generously rubbed with a spicy paste of red-pepper gochugaru, garlic, ginger, spring onion, and usually fermented seafood (fish sauce or shrimp paste), which add a deep umami flavour. The prepared vegetables are packed tightly into a container and left to ferment — from a few days at room temperature to weeks in the cool. During this time lactic-acid bacteria give kimchi its characteristic sour-spicy flavour, pleasant effervescence, and crunch. Kimchi is rich in vitamins and living probiotics, so it is regarded as one of the symbols of healthy eating. It is eaten as a stand-alone side and added to soups, stews, fried rice, and pancakes.