Acclaimed as a Superfood, a nation craving their fix daily and a museum in its honour, Kimchi is a “comfort food” usually comprised of pickled and fermented Napa cabbage. The Kimchi Museum in Seoul built to study the culture of kimchi, has documented over 187 varieties all rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins created by the lactic acid fermentation of cabbage, radish, and other vegetables and seafood. Kimchi served with plain rice is a staple and like bread goes with everything. It is so recognized in Korean cuisine that the Korea Aerospace Research Institute developed space Kimchi for the first Korean astronaut to the Russian-manned space ship Soyuz.
Kimchi developed as salted vegetables around the time of the Three Kingdoms (313- 668 AD) when agriculture was the main source of food, storage in the ground in large kimchi pots provided nourishment throughout the winter. Around the 12th century or Goryo period spices, creating flavors such as sweet and sour, and colors, such as white and orange, were added. During the 18th century or Chosun period the kimchi known today appeared with the use of red pepper.
The Oxford English Dictionary describes a Superfood as “a food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being.” Full of phytonutrients, Kimchi was named by the magazine Health in its list of top five “World’s Healthiest Foods” for being rich in vitamins, aiding digestion, and even possibly reducing cancer growth.
Kimchi spells comfort for our friend Kate who says she would be a “very happy person” if she could eat Kimchi every day. The memories of her paternal grandmother’s kitchen combine with the delicious spicy, garlicy crispiness to satiate her hunger. Since it is time consuming to make and takes a lot of practice we’re off to the Korean supermarket … see you there!
