Kimchi (Baechu-Kimchi — Napa Cabbage) - East Asian Recipe

Kimchi (Baechu-Kimchi — Napa Cabbage)

🌍 East Asian, Korea Difficulty: ●●●○○

Pre-gochugaru kimchi (before 1600s) used radishes and salt — chilies arrived from Japan during the Hideyoshi invasions.

Ingredients

• 1 large napa cabbage (2kg)
• ½ cup coarse salt. Paste: 100g gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
• 1 head garlic minced
• 2 tbsp ginger minced
• 4 tbsp fish sauce (or soy for vegan)
• 1 tbsp salted shrimp (saeujeot)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 scallions
• 1 carrot julienned
• rice porridge (2 tbsp glutinous rice flour + ½ cup water, cooked)

Method

1. Step 1 — Quarter cabbage, salt between leaves. Rest 2 hours, turning occasionally.
2. Rinsing — Rinse well, squeeze dry.
3. Making — Make rice porridge, cool. Combine with all paste ingredients.
4. Step 4 — Wearing gloves, massage paste into every cabbage leaf.
5. Packing — Pack tightly into jar. Leave at room temperature 1–2 days, then refrigerate.

Tags: napa cabbage, coarse salt. paste: 100g gochugaru, garlic minced, ginger minced, fish sauce · Source: Brittani's Almanac