Some interesting facts about Korean recipes, customs, and foods
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| Korea's most celebrated dish, kimchi;
their pickle, is instantly recognized as Korean even by those not familiar with the
cuisine. Usually and erroneously, it is thought to be only a type of pickled cabbage full
of garlic and hot chili. More accurately, the term covers fish, seafood, fruit and a large
array of vegetables or any kind of botanical herb that is both edible and palatable. There
are reputed to be about 200 kinds of kimchi. The history of kimchi is about 2,000 years
old, and the reverence that Koreans have for this indispensable and, they believe,
life-giving concoction is almost mythical. Laborers building the Great Wall of China ate
an early form of kimchi, and Genghis Khan was reputed to have fed some type of pickled
cabbage to his troops. During the sixteenth century, Koreans discovered that kimchi could
also be prepared with vegetables other than the ubiquitous Asian cabbage. Eggplant,
cucumbers, leeks, radishes, scallions, mixed with herbs and hot chili and leaves of the
countryside, were incorporated into varieties of kimchi to provide many different flavors
and textures. During the twentieth century newer vegetables not indigenous to Korean were added to the standard repertoire: carrots, tomatoes, brussels sprouts and the European cabbage became welcome additions. There is much more to kimchi than being the ever-present side dish of Korean meals. The herbs and spices, the hot chili, fresh ginger, garlic and salt act as natural preservatives for all the foods not available fresh in the nonproductive seasons of autumn and winter, and therefore kimchi provides a dependable source of food during the cold months. Kimchi is partly responsible for one of the most distinctive sights in Korea-the thousands of black earthenware storage pots that are lined up on the flat rooftops of apartments and private homes, and are tucked away in corners of the house and buried in the garden for winter storage. These pots, called jahng dak, have been made by Korean potters from the early days and are still available in various sizes of 5, 10, and up to 40 gallons. (Another facet of the potters' art is the celadon-so exquisite that it was prized not only by Korean royal families but also by many beyond Korea's boundaries. This porcelain was a Chinese invention but highly refined by the Koreans. At one period, famous Korean potters were kidnapped by the occupying Japanese and taken to Japan where they were forced to teach Japanese potters their art.) The black pots are still used to store kimchi for long-term preservation, and can be used for storage of other foods, as I have found. But to return to the kimchi, there is another type that has a short term of fermentation or can be eaten as well-spiced fresh salad. Three days during summer or 1 week during cooler weather is enough fermentation prior to serving. Both types are represented among the following recipes. The Seven Components of Kimchi:
Note: Astringency is found in an unripe persimmon; it leaves a flavor on the palate like alum or tannin. The synthetic enhancer MSG artificially stimulates the taste buds but the same thing may be accomplished by using a natural food, for instance, toasted sesame seeds or seaweed. |