Jina's Fresh Kimchi
I finally debuted my kimchi at the Brooklyn Flea last Saturday! I brought 8 jars to sample and sell. They sold out before 1pm – a testament to adventurous Brooklynites who didn’t seem fazed by the thought of eating kimchi at 11am. More importantly, the feedback was extremely positive. Lots of folks loved the intense heat and the freshness of the kimchi. It’s my version of my Mom’s traditional recipe. I added sliced jalapenos for a “greener” heat. By this I mean spicy yet refreshing. The other twist to the recipe is lacinato kale. It gives the kimchi an earthiness to balance the top notes of chili spice. Finally, I short-fermented the kimchi so the cabbage would remain nice and crunchy. I like all kinds of kimchi, but I find that in summer when it’s unbearably hot and humid, eating something cold and crunchy energizes me. So I left let the kimchi jars sit at room temp for 24 hours before refrigerating them.
I love eating kimchi on its own as a snack, and especially with just cooked, piping hot white rice. Deeee-lish!
Big 'ol batch of yummy kimchi!
This huge bowl from IKEA could hardly contain the kimchi!
Bottled and ready to ferment
Dark leafy lacinato kale worked well with the napa cabbage. The firm texture balances the watery crunch of the cabbage leaves. My mouth is watering as I type!
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That looks awesome Jina! And I’m sure it tasted good. I hope my being gone for the weekend doesn’t mean I can’t try it sometime. Great pictures too!