Baechu Kimchi (Fermented Napa Cabbage)
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The Tale of Baechu Kimchi (Fermented Napa Cabbage)
Kimchi's roots on the Korean peninsula stretch back over a thousand years, though the fiery red version familiar today only emerged after chili peppers arrived from the Americas around the 16th and 17th centuries. Baechu (napa cabbage) kimchi is shared heritage across both North and South Korea, part of a fermenting tradition that predates the peninsula's division.
Ingredients
Scale:· 8 servings
- 2 large napa cabbages, quartered
- 1 cup coarse sea salt
- 1/2 cup Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru), mild
- 1/4 cup fish sauce or salted shrimp
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 Korean radish, julienned
- 4 scallions, cut into batons
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup rice flour porridge (rice flour cooked with water)
Instructions
- 1Cut the cabbages into quarters and rub coarse salt between every leaf, then submerge in salted water for 2-3 hours until the leaves are limp and pliable, turning occasionally.
- 2Rinse the cabbage thoroughly under cold water three times to remove excess salt, then drain well.
- 3Cook the rice flour porridge with water until it thickens slightly, then cool.
- 4Mix the cooled rice porridge with gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and sugar to form a thick paste.
- 5Fold the julienned radish and scallions into the paste.
- 6Spread the paste generously between every leaf of the cabbage quarters, working it in by hand.
- 7Pack the coated cabbage tightly into a clean jar or crock, pressing down so the natural liquid rises to cover the cabbage.
- 8Leave at room temperature for 1-2 days to begin fermenting, then refrigerate; it develops fuller flavor over the following week and keeps for months.
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