Kimchi - Traditional Korean Fermented Cabbage

Kimchi is made typically with cabbage that is brined, marinated, and left to ferment. From the old days , kimchi-making was a community event, called kimjang . After the fall harvest, the women would gather to make large batches of kimchi together for each home . It was marked by laughter, story-telling, and even gossip while filling clay jars with this precious cargo. This jar is called a onggi. If its really small, the jar is called danji, hangari for a medium sized jar, and dok if its large. Because there was no refrigeration in those days , these jars were buried in the ground and the kimchi was enjoyed during the winter.

When it comes to Kimchi, I was lucky to learn from a master. My friend Sang Kim is a well-known Canadian chef, a prize-winning fiction writer, and runs Sushi Making For The Soul, Canada's most popular sushi-making class. In his classes, you don't only learn the art of sushi, but the fascinating history behind it. I met Chef Sang a few years ago when I took my girlfriend to his class for her birthday.