Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish. It is very common that Koreans serve kimchi in every meal. Kimchi has a history of 6000 years. It was first developed from China and 1300 years ago, it was passed down to Korea. The early Kimchi was made with cabbage and beef stocks only, but later Koreans developed a spicy Kimchi. But nowadays, there are many different types of kimchi such as ‘dongchimi,’ and ‘chonggak kimchi.’ The type of Kimchi varies on the regions in Korea. Different states have different types of popular Kimchi. The reason Koreans eat Kimchi is because it is healthy and tasteful. It also brings the family together because the process of making Kimchi requires a lot of work that a single person cannot accomplish.
It was well introduced to foreigners during the Seoul Olympics in Korea during 1988. It is told that many of the foreigners enjoyed eating Kimchi and later sought for Kimchi in their homeland. Kimchi is very nutritious that one serving of it contains 80% of the daily recommended amount of carotene and Vitamin C. Also, it is proven that Kimchi lowers the cholesterol rate and protects our body against cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, and obesity. In addition, it provides Vitamin A, B, and C, and as well as various other nutrition.
Despite the fact that nowadays most Koreans buy Kimchi from the markets, my family makes Kimchi at home in regular basis. It is very cheap, but it is definitely hard to make. During the times we make it, I eat it for couple times and fix the taste by either adding sugar or salt until it gets the real taste. Kimchi also strengthens the relationship between other families because after making Kimchi, many times we share it with other family. It is nearly a tradition that Koreans share Kimchi. When I was in Korea, I remember my mom and aunts meet up at grandmother’s house and make kimchi together. After the work is done, they shared them equally. And during that time, I sat right next to them and pleasing for Kimchi to appreciate the taste of it. Even today, when I eat Kimchi on my dinner table, I can feel and smell my Korean memories.
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Kimchi is definitely the trademark of Korea. It is a domestic food that Koreans enjoy in their meal tables. I have never encountered a Korean restaurant that didn't serve Kimchi dish. It definitely represents the Korean culture.
ReplyDeleteI prefer making Kimchi by myself rather than buying from the store. As you mentioned earlier in the blog, we have the freedom to fix the taste of the Kimchi by adding more salt or hot peppers to make it spicier. It is this freedom that sets us free from creating and expressing our own tastes. It may be the same "Kimchi", however, the taste will be never be the same due to our own unique recipes. I enjoyed reading your blog.
Oh I really love Kimchi. I am like one of the person who can be satisfied with just Kimchi and rice. They are really good because they give you little spice to your taste. I always ask my mom to make some more because I do not like the Kimchi from the market. I also like them because they have many different tastes. Just like wines, Kimchi can have different tastes by having it for longer or shorter inside of the barrel. I wish I can have some my mom’s Kimchi with you because my mom makes it the best!
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