Hello everybody!
Today I’m going to show you how to make classic, spicy, traditional napa cabbage kimchi called tongbaechu-kimchi, a.k.a. baechu-kimchi or pogi-kimchi. But this dish is so common and iconic among Koreans that we simply call it “kimchi.” When people talk about kimchi, this is the side dish they’re referring to, despite the fact that there are many kinds of kimchi in Korean cuisine, and many made with napa cabbage, too.

Over the years I’ve posted recipes for a few of them, but I’ve never made an in-depth video for making tongbaechu-kimchi! I’ve made a video for mak-kimchi (easy kimchi recipe), which is very similar but is easier because you to chop up the cabbage into bite size pieces first, and I’ve made an ultra simple yangbaechu-kimchi (emergency kimchi). Many years ago I even posted a recipe showing how to make baechu-kimchi with kkakdugi in one batch. But until now, I’ve never posted the most classic and traditional napa cabbage kimchi. (I also have a vegan kimchi version of this recipe, too!)

For me, this kimchi recipe has the traditional flavor I am looking for. It uses the whole cabbage leaf, which makes it more labor-intensive than the other ones on my website, because you’ll need to take time to spread the spicy paste leaf by leaf. It’s more work, but this is the traditional style and if you can make this kind of kimchi well, you can consider yourself good at Korean cooking.

To make this kimchi we need to first soak the cabbage in a salty brine to soften the leaves (some people swear by sea salt but I always use Kosher salt in all my Korean dishes). Then lactobacillus bacteria can do their work and convert sugar into lactic acid, which preserves the cabbage and changes the flavor over time. But you don’t have to wait for the kimchi to ferment before you enjoy it, you can eat it right away and keep eating it as it ferments and eventually goes sour. Then it’s perfect for dishes like kimchi-jjigae and kimchi stir fried rice.

As I mention in the video, my mom used to make kimchi from 200 heads of cabbage! This was kimjang kimchi, made with her friends at the beginning of winter, and meant to last until the spring. 3 to 4 of her friends would come over and help her chop vegetables and most importantly, spread the paste on the leaves. This always needs to be done by hand. They would bring their own rubber gloves, and spend the day talking and laughing, and always had pollock stew or beef radish soup for lunch. They had a lot of fun!

At the end of the day they would take some kimchi home with them, but my mom would get all the rest, which lasted my whole family through the winter. And when my mom’s friends needed to make their winter kimchi, my mom brought her gloves over to their houses and helped them, like they did for her.

In the video I also show you how to ferment it in a traditional onggi. Using an onggi is not mandatory, but for those of you who have one already, this is how you use it! If you don’t have one, just use a BPA-free plastic container, or a glass container.

I answer many other frequently asked questions about kimchi-making in this video.

I hope you enjoy the recipe, and if you love kimchi, I encourage you to make your own kimchi at home. It’s delicious, easy, and a fun thing to do!

kimchi_onggi (포기김치)

Ingredients

Makes about 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of Kimchi

For salting cabbage:

For making porridge:

Vegetables:

Seasonings and spices:

Directions

Prepare and salt the cabbage

  1. If the cabbage cores stick out too much, trim them off with your knife over your cutting board.
  2. To split a cabbage in half without shredding the densely packed leaves inside, first cut a short slit in the base of the cabbage, enough to get a grip on either half, and then gently pull the halves apart so the cabbage splits open. kimchi_cut cabbage
  3. Cut a slit through the core of each half, 2 inches above the stem. You want the cabbage leaves to be loose but still attached to the core.napa cabbage_cut (배추)
  4. Dunk the halves in a large basin of water to get them wet. Sprinkle salt between the leaves by lifting up every leaf and getting salt in there. Use more salt closer to the stems, where the leaves are thicker.Salting cabbage cabbage_salting (배추 소금절이기)
  5. Let the cabbages rest for 2 hours. Turn over every 30 minutes, so they get well salted. From time to time you can ladle some of the salty water from the bottom of the basin over top of the cabbages if you want to.kimchi_cabbage salting (배추소금절이기) kimchi_cabbage salting (배추소금절이기)
  6. After 2 hours, wash the cabbage halves a few times under cold running water. Giving them a good washing, to remove the salt and any dirt. As you wash, split the halves into quarters along the slits you cut into earlier. Cut off the cores, give them a final rinse, and put them in a strainer over a basin so they can drain well.

kimchi-cabbage wash (배추씻기)

While the cabbage is salting for 2 hours, and in between the times you’re turning it over, you can make the porridge:

  1. Combine the water and the sweet rice flour in a small pot. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until it starts to bubble. Add the sugar and cook 1 more minute, stirring. Remove from the heat and let it cool off completely.
  2. Pour cooled porridge into a large mixing bowl. Add garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, fermented salted shrimp, and hot pepper flakes. Mix well with the wooden spoon until the mixture turns into a thin paste.salted fermented shrimp (saeujeot: 새우젓)kimchi_seasoningskimchi_paste (김치양념)kimchi paste
  3. Add the radish, carrot, and green onion, plus the Asian chives (or more green onions) and the water dropwort if you’re using them. Mix well.Kimchi making (김치)kimchi paste (김치속) kimchi paste

Make kimchi

  1. In a large bowl, spread some kimchi paste on each cabbage leaf. When every leaf in a quarter is covered with paste, wrap it around itself into a small packet, and put into your jar, plastic container, or onggi.
  2. Eat right away, or let it sit for a few days to ferment.

kimchi makingwhole-cabbage-kimchifresh-kimchi (포기김치)

On fermentation

  1. The kimchi will start fermenting a day or two at room temperature, depending on the temperature and humidity of your room. The warmer and more humid it is, the faster the kimchi will ferment. Once it starts to ferment it will smell and taste sour, and pressing on the top of the kimchi with a spoon will release bubbles from beneath. If you’re using a sealed jar with a lid, be sure to open it once a while, let it breathe, and press down on the top of the kimchi.
  2. Once it starts to fermented, store in the refrigerator to use as needed. This slows down the fermentation process, which will make the kimchi more and more sour as time goes on.

fermented kimchi (포기김치)

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995 Comments:

  1. ManamiB Phoenix Arizona joined 7/18 & has 2 comments

    Hello! I have a question! Instead of using the fermented shrimp, can I use the fermented squid you made in your videos? I love kimchi. So yummy!

  2. italianstallion Bedford Stuyvesant, NYC, NY joined 7/18 & has 2 comments

    Ok, so I just love cooking. And I always like to attempt to make xyz dish in the traditional method first to get a handle of the basics before I use short cuts. Plus…it’s sooooo much fun. I made this today and while being in NYC all the ingredients were quite easy to find the Onggi (which I insisted I must have) was harder to find. Lo-and-behold, I found it the first place I thought of going but the last place I actually went – Hmart in flushing. I was inspired by my dear friend (who is Korean) and plus I just love Kimchi. I will attach pictures of my dish. I added diakon to mine, as well as regular red radish only because I had them in the fridge and its as either throw them out or use them. To those who comment on the saltiness, this is a technique used in many cultures to “soften” vegetables or extract bitterness. Italians do it too, the key is, if you over salted just rinse a lot. The best way to tell if you have rinsed away the saltiness or rinsed to an appropriate amount of saltiness is to rip a piece and taste it. I do that to eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini….anything I may salt.


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    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

      Homemade kimchi in onggi! What else do you need? We Koreans use salt to preserve vegetables and seafood for a long time and keep them crispy and prevent them from going bad.

      • italianstallion Bedford Stuyvesant, NYC, NY joined 7/18 & has 2 comments

        I do have a question I’m sure others have asked. After I let my kimchi ferment a day at room temperature, I did put it in the fridge. I know it’s a matter of taste but how long after fermenting more slowly at the lower temperature can I remove it from the onggi and put it in air tight jars (thereby cutting off oxygen supply and severely stunting fermentation)? I make beer so I’m well versed in bacterial growth and how to start or stop it and prevent oxidation.

  3. Freckledmaniac Indiana joined 7/18 & has 1 comment

    I haven’t made this yet. I watch the video almost every night. I can’t wait to make my own. I have made several other dishes and I loved them. Rhank you for sharing all your knowledge!

  4. deedle2038 Austin, TX joined 3/18 & has 6 comments

    thanks! it is a very cute 옹기; I was surprised it holds 10 pounds! I do cook Korean food all the time — your website and videos have helped me so much. <3

  5. deedle2038 Austin, TX joined 3/18 & has 6 comments

    I finally did it! I made your kimchi. I forgot to buy the saeujeot (whoops), so I added 1/4 cup more of fish sauce to make up for it. I hope! I used young 갓 at the Korean grocery while I was there, and added that to my julienned vegetables and kimchi paste. it tastes wonderful and almost all of it fit in my onggi. I’m cooking some japgokbap to eat with one of the small containers of it fresh (with roasted sesame seeds, of course) for lunch! thanks so much.


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  6. helentran vietnam joined 7/18 & has 1 comment

    hi Maangchi, i saw you say that kimchi is almost last long but why my kimchi is just last for 2 weeks? Thanks

  7. Lovetulipa Romania joined 7/18 & has 1 comment

    Hello Maangchi,
    I’ve been wanting to make another batch of kimchi for a while now but in my country, Nappa cabbage is a bit on the expensive side and I can’t seem to find any now. Do you think I could make kimchi with butter lettuce or green leaf lettuce? If so, how long should I keep them in salt/salt water?

    Thank you,
    Andreea

  8. Rain026 Philippines joined 7/18 & has 2 comments

    Maangchi I just love your videos. It’s the reason why I want to start eating healthy. I want to make this kimchi at home but I can’t find any Salted fermented shrimp (jeotgal) here in my location. My country has a different version of fermented shrimp but I’m afraid to use it as it may alter the taste of the kimchi. Can you recommend any substitute or can I make kimchi without it? I hope you can help me. Lots of love <3

  9. Kerri Richmond, Va joined 7/18 & has 3 comments

    I just made this and it is amazing even before it’s fermented! This was my first time making kimchi. It was time intensive but not too hard. My daughter joined me and it made it even more special as our first attempt together. Thank you for such a good recipe and video.


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  10. rmjs77& has 7 comments

    Maangchi, I just finished making your traditional kimchi recipe. I followed each and every step and it looks beautiful. I went to my local Galleria Korean market and found everything except the water drop wort, so I just skipped that ingredient. I can’t wait to taste it! Right now in Toronto the humidity is making it feel like a million degrees celsius, so I think it will be well fermented in only one day. Thank you!!


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  11. Div India joined 6/18 & has 1 comment

    can I use rice flour instead of sweet rice flour?

  12. jasa73 Cambridge, MA joined 4/13 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi!

    I have been making your kimchi recipe for years. Napa cabbage, ponytail. I am going to make white kimchi next, and i may even try making your fermented bean paste. I wanted to ask you two questions about kimchi.

    1) My hairdresser is Korean. I told her I make kimichi in the summer and she told me that i should only make kimchi when it starts to get cold. Is this true?

    2) Is it possible to make kimchi with local vegetables. I am in New England and have wondered about making kimchi with asparagus, or even fiddlehead ferns or wild ramps.

    Finally I wanted to share one of my most treasured possessions from when i went to Korea many years ago. A CD Rom of kimchi knowledge from the Kimchi museum in Seoul!


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  13. AlexHart Hangzhou, China joined 6/18 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi!

    I first made this kimchi back home in NYC 4 years ago, so probably right when you posted this recipe. Just made it for the first time here in China – tastes great! Served it fresh with Domi-yangnyeom-gui 도미양념구이 and Buchujeon 부추전. Thanks for the recipes!


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  14. ae627 Home joined 5/18 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,

    I can’t find (sweet rice flour) glutinous rice powder near my area. But i have some pea flour with me. Can I use that as substitute?

    Thanks.

    • OhHai US joined 6/18 & has 1 comment

      I’m not Maangchi but I’ve used white / wheat flour for this before with no issues. It ferments along with everything else despite additives after being cooked down. If you’re in the US (or elsewhere probably) look for gluten free flour either in regular or baking isle and it’s likely to be a rice flour or at least a blend.

      Potato flour could work as well but I’ll leave it to the expert :-)

  15. MelG Baku, Azerbaijan joined 5/18 & has 1 comment

    Where I live, they don’t have any Korean restaurants, but my husband and I loooove Korean food. I’ve already made several of your recipes and they have all been very tasty.
    I just made my first batch of kimchi and am super excited to taste in a few days how it turned out. Unfortunately, they don’t have daikon here, so I hope it still tastes good.

    You’re awesome and so personable! It’s always fun and interesting to watch your videos. I wish you were my neighbor :-)
    Keep up the good work!

  16. vivi89 New Caledonia joined 5/18 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi !
    For several years I’ve been making my own kimchi according to your recipe. But, because I live in a small island far away from everything, my kimchi is not a “real Korean kimchi” and so, it’s a “kimchi-like” ^^.
    However, last week I had a very special thing happen to the kimchi. I’ve made it 2 weeks ago and it turned out well. Today though when I opened the box the smell was normal but the water had turned gelatinous, almost like a jelly. I never had this before. Yesterday it was good and overnight, it turned like that. Do you have any idea why ?

    Thank you so much for your recipes and your advices !

  17. Juansarmen España joined 10/16 & has 2 comments

    Hi!! Maangchi, I write you from Spain! I love Kimchi. Just one question, It’s a long time since I dont prepare kimchi, months…. I bought fermented salted shrimps and hot pepper flakes and let them in the freezer… how long can I use it? Or they are timed out already. Thanks

  18. bonko NL joined 9/11 & has 2 comments

    Hello Maangchi

    I follow your recipe (but multiply the amount because I make more kimchi) but last few times my kimchi didn’t turn out right. The paste is good but when I put the kimchi in the fridge it doesn’t become a nice red liquid. There is kimchi in my jar with a lot of water instead of sauce and the kimchi doesn’t have much taste. Do you know how this can happen? In the past the kimchi turned out great! Can it be the quality of the cabbages? It is hard to get the cabbages with a lot of green. Quit often the cabbages are white with a little bit yellow. Is it possible there is too much hard ‘root’ and not enough soft ‘leaves’ and the roots containing too much water?

    • Its completely true. Maangchi’s grocery store video just explained a minute ago. If the kimchi,s watery or bland it has to be.This has happened to me in the past I WILL be trying again soon..

      • bo NL joined 9/11 & has 2 comments

        What happened with the good quality cabbage?! I think the last few years my kimchi decreased in quality. I can only find cabbages with a lot of white and yellow and not the green ones. My understanding is the farmers harvest the cabbages and store them to release them by portions to the shops. To make the cabbage look fresh, they peel the outer layers of leaves and I’m afraid they remove all the nice green leaves :(

        • hzwyfee1 America joined 6/18 & has 1 comment

          I thought the darker looking Napa cabbage is usually found in winter which is why koreans start making their Napa cabbage kimchi in the winter months. It’s not the same during the warmer months, at least not where I live.

  19. KarmaP Denver joined 12/11 & has 3 comments

    Can I skip the flour and sugar in this recipe. If not are their substitutes? I think j could use a pear and apple instead of sugar but not sure about the flour.

    Thanks. Love your site.

    • paleoguy Uk joined 5/18 & has 1 comment

      Cooking and fermenting is all about biochemistry. The rice flour and sugar are prebiotic foods for the bacteria to feed on and multiply as the Kimchi ferments. It is what keeps Kimchi alive and fermenting for months in the fridge. It is one of the most powerful probiotic sources with kefir, yoghurt and sauerkraut.

      Daily Kimchi and fermented foods with every meal is what allows Koreans & Japanese to be able to digest dairy in the complete absence of the gene to be able to do it in most of the population. Its all about the amazing bacteria in fermented foods – and they need feeding….

  20. cass_tessa Malaysia joined 4/18 & has 1 comment

    hi maangchi,
    this is the 2nd time i make kimchi using your recipe. previously i made without the fermented salty shrimp and it turned out great.
    this time, i make it with fermented shrimp but i didnt use gochugaru, i used thai chili powder and it turned out terribly spicy even though i have reduced the usage to 1.5 cup instead of 2cups. its still fermenting, today is day 2, its not salty enough, only spicy, so i added some salt to it while it ferment. the colour and thickness is just nice but what can I to do with the spiciness, my husband loves spicy food but this is too much even for him.

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

      it’s best to use Korean hot pepper flakes because they are not as spicy as these. But when it’s fermented, the spiciness will tone down, but if it’s really torturing you, just rinse the kimchi in cold water before serving it.

  21. doughydoe New Zealand joined 4/18 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi just made some kimchi a few days ago. Nice and sour now! I like to add a pear for flavour hehe. Probably shouldn’t have filled one of the jars so full though, it was on the verge of exploding. I had no idea fermentation would produce so much gas lol!
    Thank you so much for your recipe!


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    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

      We Koreans are always opening our kimchi jars at least once a day to get some out, so we never have any problems with it exploding. Next time, you can open it once a day so that the gas can get released! The kimchi looks great!

  22. Ana Figueiredo Brazil joined 4/18 & has 1 comment

    Hi, Maangchi!!!

    I’m about to make this traditional kimchi, but I’m allergic to crustaceans. Can I replace the fermented salted shrimp for anything else?

    Thank you! <3

  23. philtsen Russia joined 4/18 & has 2 comments

    Hi, Maangchi!
    Greetings from Russia!

    I wondered, what volume of kimchi is your recipe designed for?
    The thing is I bought a 7 liter onggi and now I want to know, how much more ingredients I should take for it:)

    BTW, I just love your website and your youtube channel. Atr you planning to publish another book with even more recipes? (Already have your first one)

  24. carbonara Europe joined 3/18 & has 1 comment

    Hi,
    thanks for the recipe!
    i couldn’t find any korean chilli flakes so decided to use paprika and cayenne pepper instead (i used 1/4 cup cayenne pepper and 1/2 half paprika) however this made the kimchi quite spicy and the paprika + cayenne pepper gives a VERY strong flavour which is hard to ignore when eating the kimchi. It’s been 2 weeks now so the sourness from fermentation has sort of made the flavour more tolerable but it is still very overbearing and sometimes not very nice. I was wondering if there was anything I could do balance out the strong paprika and cayenne pepper taste :) any recipes i can make using the kimchi would be helpful too!
    thank you

  25. brrrattt Paris, France joined 3/18 & has 1 comment

    hello, Maangchi! This is my second time making Korean tradition kimchi, I’ve borne the recipe in mind since the first time I watched your video. I’m from China and studying in Paris currently, I’m a big fan of Korean food, and I’ve also found that there are so many things in common between Chinese food and Korean food, your recipe really cures my homesick. Normally, I eat kimchi as an appetizer, and I prefer to put some sesame oil on it when eat it, super tasty and I love it!


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  26. syahirasharif Malaysia joined 3/18 & has 1 comment

    I always buy storebought kimchi but I always ended up using them so fast (and my dad keep stealing bites to eat too lol) and its too expensive (especially imported kimchi from korea which tend to be very flavorful). I’m so glad that its far cheaper and tastier to make them myself. I bought a package of gochugaru that was mild for my taste and used extra cup in the recipe so its red but still not scary spicy.

    I left my batch out overnight next to a thermo pot, the humidity and warmer temperature allow it to ferment fairly quickly under 24 hours. I’m so happy to taste slight carbonation to it. I kept a layer of plastic over the larger container with a weight to keep them submerge in the juice and reduce exposure to air. But I kinda doubt they would last a month. Thank you Maangchi :)


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    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

      Your kimchi looks well fermented now, and crispy and juicy and delicious. Every line that you wrote really makes sense. I said “That’s right!” while I was reading.

      Continued good luck with your Korean cooking! Now you can make kimchi forever!

  27. Wendy905 Malaysia joined 3/18 & has 2 comments

    Second time I made this, my friend and family like it


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  28. Jhoy_melendrez14 philippines joined 10/17 & has 10 comments

    I’ll make sure to make as many kimchi as possible because my husband and i love it so much !! thank you maangchi! your recipe help me a lot in making korean dishes in easy way!! tried almost all of your recipe..


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  29. Collinyu Taiwan joined 2/18 & has 5 comments

    This is my second time making kimchi with your recipe. My paste is a little watery compare to yours. Anything else turned out okay.
    Thanks


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  30. Buncy Vancouver joined 2/18 & has 1 comment

    Hello Maangchi :) Can I use the same recipe to make gat kimchi? Thank you.

  31. alessiastre Italy joined 2/18 & has 2 comments

    Ciao, ti ho scoperta da pochi giorni.
    Sono contentissima di aver conosciuto il tuo sito e canale del youtube, io sono sorda e sono molto felice perchè le tue ricette sono tutti sottotitolati e ho avuto possibilità di imparare.
    Ecco ho appena fatto il primo Kimichi in questa ricetta ..
    Domani forse faccio qualcosa con Rice cake.


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  32. Sancy101 Maldives joined 2/18 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi, I want to try making kimchi but I don’t have fermented shrimps, don’t think they are available in my country. And I miight get fish sauce or I might not. So my question is, what actually causes the fermentation in kimchi, and can it be made without the fish sauce and shrimps and still ferment? I want the probiotics in it so a milder taste wouldn’t be a problem.

  33. lalagirl717 Lancaster, Pa joined 1/18 & has 2 comments

    Thank you so much for having the recipes on YouTube and on a website.
    I made kimchi before but didn’t have the courage to try it. My husband didn’t even bother to be my test rat. After I made the kimchi with your recipe my husband fell in love with it. He’s been eating it for dinner almost every night for the past 2 weeks.
    During my pregnancy I had food aversion and could not eat. I lost my appetite with everything and lost weight. I found your website and it was the start of getting my appetite back. Your foods are always so colorful and flavorful. I just gave birth and having trouble cooking, but I still enjoy watching your videos while pumping milk. I can’t wait to go back to the kitchen and try out more recipes. I love watching you in action!

  34. BernardC Western Australia joined 12/17 & has 6 comments

    Traditional Kimchi – made for family.


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  35. janggeurae Indonesia joined 12/17 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi or anyone who knows the answer. Why the kimchi paste in Korean restaurant has a thick texture, same like when we just rubbed the paste to the cabbage? It’s pretty much like the second picture from the last. The fermentation process always makes the kimchi covered with juice so I am suspicious that they rub again the same paste right before it’s served to the customers?

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