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. gelzie Philippines joined 4/17 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maagchi,

    I’m a huge fan of Korean food and I’ve been watching your youtube videos since. I am about to try making my 1st Kimchi this weekend. There are some ingredients that are not available in my area. So my questions are:

    Can I use sock salt instead of Kosher salt?
    I cant find Korean radish, can I use any type of radish?
    What would be better to use regular flour vs having a glutinous rice milled if the sweet glutinous flor is not available?

    • K Anne Philippines joined 8/17 & has 2 comments

      Hi, gelzie! Regular flour is different from rice flour. Kung wala kang mabili, bili ka na lang ng glutinous rice tapos ipagiling mo. :)) If may SM malapit sainyo, try mo icheck, meron silang glutinous flour. :))

  2. ShelbyLT Georgia joined 4/17 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi. .This is a great kimchi recipe. We can’t stop having it everyday. My hubby doesn’t like to eat those buy from outside one anymore! My son always ask for it with saltine crackers after he comes back from school. Thank you so much for your recipe. Yummy!


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  3. fatstrat U.S. joined 3/17 & has 3 comments

    I made this with baby bok choy instead of Napa cabbage and added puréed Asian pear and let it ferment slowly in the fridge. After 2 1/2 weeks it still needs more time but it is delicious right now anyway!

  4. aofmonst123 Bali joined 4/17 & has 1 comment

    hi! i made kimchi but the kimchi paste was more than enough. can i store kimchi paste in the refrigerator for next use??

  5. VivianL Malaysia joined 4/17 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi
    Thanks so much for this recipe. Here’s my kimchi that I just made for the first time. I did the sane mistake as some of the other readers who posted in this forum which was using too much salt to salt the cabbage. The paste tasted very good but the cabbage was too salty.
    I would like to ask if I should add the radish now or do i add after fermentation? Also i added raw squid to my kimchi. How long should I wait before the kimchi is safe to be consumed?
    Thanks a lot.


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

      Wow, the kimchi looks great! If you like to fix salty kimchi, you should add some chunks of radish when the kimchi is still fresh. After kimchi ferments, it’s not a good idea to add radish.

      • VivianL Malaysia joined 4/17 & has 2 comments

        Thank you so much Maangchi! The kimchi is absolutely delicious! Nothing I have tasted outside even in the top Korean matches this! I am having kimchi for breakfast, lunch and dinner now!
        I managed to find all the ingredients that you use and followed your recipe to the exact (except for salting the cabbage part)..

        Anyways for other readers in Malaysia, water dropwort (minari), is call Daun Selom (in Malay language). This can typically be found in smaller supermarkets right together with Ulam Raja (malay) herb. It is actually quite a well used herb in Malaysia, typically eatened raw as ulam (malay word for salad which is dressed with sambal belacan (spicy ground chilli with fermented shrimp paste)).

        As for fermented salted shrimp (saeujeot), this is call cencaluk (malay) and can be easily found anywhere. Smaller supermarkets normally have them in long thin bottles.

        Hope this helps other readers.

        • nr.munirah malaysia joined 5/17 & has 1 comment

          what paste you used is it the same as maangchi used? in my area there is no korean chili paste.. :( should i just use the chili paste like we use to make sambal nasi lemak?

          • kasturi1995 Kepong, Malaysia joined 6/17 & has 1 comment

            Hey! The gochugaru can be found in bigger Jusco supermarkets or if you’re in KL.. there is a K mart! I have seen some in Jaya Grocer too!

      • Johnsour29 Palm Bay fl joined 7/17 & has 1 comment

        Hi I just made the kimchi and maanchi says to leave it out for a few days to ferment then to put in the refrigerator but I spoke to a few Koreans I know and they all said not to leave it out and just to put it in the refrigerator right away after making it. I don’t know who to believe. Can you clear this up for me?

  6. KimLree joined 3/11 & has 4 comments

    Hello Maangchi,

    I made kimchee for the first time using your recipe 2 days ago. I used grated Asian pear instead of the sweet rice flour porridge for the binder and left out the buchu, minari, and sugar. It turned out FANTASTIC! I am so pleased and happy with how delicious it turned out and so is my family!! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!!!

  7. Panda Chan Malaysia joined 3/15 & has 3 comments

    Hello maangchi, I make this kimchi yesterday. But I don’t have fish sauce in hand at the time, so I’m using soy sauce instead. And I can’t find korean radish in stock in my market so I use daikon instead. Also I put in lots of carrots, buchu & spring onion. Can’t wait to taste my kimchi. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  8. Dena USA joined 3/17 & has 2 comments

    Can you leave kimchi on the counter top for 2-3 days to jump start the fermentation?

  9. Leomax Sweden joined 3/17 & has 3 comments

    Hi Maangchi!
    I want to sincerely thank you for this recipe! I make kimchi since many years ago and tried many of its variations before but I find kimchi made as per your above recipe as absolutely the best one.
    Here below is my recent bunch of kimchi. We simply can’t get enough of it!

    Thank you again!
    Max


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  10. beluc argentina joined 3/17 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi,
    I would love to prepare kimchi but I am vegetarian, may I replace the ” fish sauce
    and the fermented salted shrimp” with something else????
    thanks!!!!

  11. LeahCao Vietnam joined 3/17 & has 4 comments

    Hello Maangchi,
    I’m your huge fan from Vietnam. Luckyly, I made Kimchi follow your recipe and it tastes good. But I still have a question.
    Can I use 1/4cup fish sauce instead of 1/4cup saeujeot because I can’t find fermented shrimp paste in my country?
    I hope you’ll answer my question. Hope you always be happy.

  12. LadyWolfe Twin Cities, Minnesota joined 3/17 & has 1 comment

    Maangchi, you’ve made this household SO HAPPY! Kimchi is a favorite around here, and now I can make it for everyone. This looks, smells, and I’m certain will be wonderful. We’re letting it ferment for a couple of days before testing, but I can’t imagine anything but amazing with the included ingredients. Thank you, Maangchi, you have a new fan. :)


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  13. RafaelT Indonesia joined 2/17 & has 1 comment

    I can’t believe made kimchi for the first time in my life! It taste so good and easy to make from ur recipe maangchi. Thanks! ♥


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  14. jamorgan3777 Wisconsin joined 2/17 & has 1 comment

    Hello Maangchi!! I am a huge fan and I just made your kimchi recipe. It turned out fantastic! Just like the kimchi we have at our favorite Korean restaurant. It was not nearly as hard to make as I thought it was going to be. We were not able to find the salted shrimp so we use shrimp paste in oil (3tbps innstead of the 1/4 cup of salted shrimp).
    Thanks for all that you do!

  15. earlmel Texas joined 2/17 & has 1 comment

    HELP!!
    I forgot to rinse the salt off my cabbage. Everything was so pretty too. I added some radishes as I remembered you suggesting one time, but I am afraid my beautiful kimchi will not be editable. What can I do? I was thinking finish the process and add some more cabbage, unsalted, and allow it to soak up the juice, but I am not sure. HELP, please.

  16. Kiyomice United States (Kansas) joined 2/17 & has 1 comment

    Thank you so much! You’re the best. I have made my own kimchi with your help, though I only used a tiny bit of red pepper flakes because I didn’t want it to be very spicy. So it’s not very red ^_^


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  17. ctzen Malaysia joined 2/17 & has 1 comment

    Maangchi, tomorrow me and my friend are planning to make this napa kimchi (twice the portion), oisobagi, gochusobagi, dubu jangajji, and sigeumchi-namul… Too ambitious? Is it possible to make pear kimchi? It sounds good in my head…..

  18. kb4 U P Michigan joined 2/17 & has 2 comments

    The kimchi turns out great. I am ready to make the next batch with oysters. Read through the replies but did not find the answer.

    Can you use canned oysters instead of fresh. Fresh only shows up in the U P Thanksgiving time.

    We usually make 2 gallons of kimchi at a time.

  19. lufen malaysia joined 1/17 & has 1 comment

    Thank you Maangchi for one of the best kimchis we’ve ever tasted.
    We eat out at Korean restaurants a fair bit,
    but your kimchi recipe gave us a greater appreciation of the deep and rich kimchi flavors that we’ve never before tasted.
    Thankyou! :)

    Question: How do you prevent kimchi from going moldy? I made a batch and divided it into 3 containers – one of these went moldy (green mould) on top. Could condensation have caused this? Concerned as I will be making another big batch soon.

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

      It’s great you like my kimchi recipe! : )
      Regarding moldy kimchi, here is the answer. Check out my making kimchi FAQ: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi
      “If you keep your kimchi properly, it won’t go bad months and months. Don’t forget to press down the top of kimchi in the container with a spoon whenever you take some. It will prevent your kimchi from being exposed to air. If you see the top of your kimchi already has white stuff (mold), remove the top layer of the kimchi and you still can eat the rest of the kimchi.”

  20. Thesa Indonesia joined 1/17 & has 3 comments

    Hi maangchi, I made kimchi yesterday but it taste and smell like onion dan ginger. Taste a bit bitter like I am eating onion. It doesn’t teste like kimchiWhat should I do to make it better? Thank you Maangchi.

    • Leomax Sweden joined 3/17 & has 3 comments

      Hi.
      Same happened with me once in the past (although not with Maangchi recipe).
      I suggest you use less green onions next time. Just use half of the amount suggested here in the recipe. Green onions vary in their strength and “onion taste”. You must have used a really strong one.

  21. LoganS Colorado, USA joined 10/16 & has 3 comments

    I halved this recipe but otherwise did it exactly as written. It is, hands down, the best Kimchi I have ever tasted. I ate some of it fresh and it’s been in the fridge for a week now. I definitely prefer it well fermented, but it was still delicious fresh. I’m fermenting it in an old cookie jar I got from my parents. The salted fermented shrimp made a big difference compared to other recipes I have tried.

    I had a bunch of leftover radish so I made cubed radish Kimchi with this same paste. It is really good!

  22. Sio lover Ksa joined 12/16 & has 46 comments

    Maangchi hi I was wondering can I make the hot pepper flakes in my home because there is no near grocery store in my area so can I get the red pepper and dry it?

  23. Hafizah Malaysia joined 10/16 & has 5 comments

    Can I use rice flour rather then sweet rice flour? How much do need to put fish sauce if I don’t add salted shrimp?

  24. pinkgrey Philippines joined 1/17 & has 1 comment

    Hi,
    I would like to make kimchi but I don’t have a food processor. What should I do? Can I just mince the onions, garlic and ginger?

  25. lacus817 Canada joined 1/17 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi!

    I made kimchi 4 days ago. It turned out great. I would make this again. I was told the kimchi I made is salty. Must be the fish sauce. To me, I find it’s really good. I find using right amount of ingredients by following the recipe is what makes it delicious. If I omit or use less ingredients than what I’m instructed, i think it might not turned out good.

    Is there a way to make it less salty? If so what would you recommend?


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    • chibikero93 Malaysia joined 1/17 & has 1 comment

      Hi lacus817! Try adding a little sugar into your fish sauce! This will reduce the saltiness. I’ve tried it multiple times and this results in less salty kimchi ;) It’s relatively hard for me to get the korean fish sauce / anchovy sauce so I always resort to either thai fish sauce or Vietnamese fish sauce. They are way saltier so I just add sugar to bring it to the korean anchovy sauce taste. Worked perfectly fine for me :D Give it a go!

  26. Kymchi Toledo, Ohio joined 1/17 & has 1 comment

    Hello Maangchi! This is my first time attempting to make a Korean dish, I’m super excited. Today is day two of fermentation. When I released the bubbles, I noticed my kimchi has a strong fish odor and taste. I used finely ground shrimp sauce instead of Saeujeot. The Korean grocery store didn’t have Saeujeot. How can I lessen the strong fish taste? My dog doesn’t seem to mind the fishiness!


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  27. MBusiness Phladelphia, PA joined 1/17 & has 1 comment

    Maangchi,
    I have been making your kimchi for two yeas now, getting closer to your exact recipe every time, and it keeps getting better. I’m waiting for the cabbage to finish salting as I write this and just wanted to take a minute to thank you for teaching me to make one of my favorite foods!

  28. Thesa Indonesia joined 1/17 & has 3 comments

    Hello Maangchi
    I have tried your kimchi recipe, but unfortunately I bought wrong chilli. I used “Taeyangcho gochujang” but the kimchi can still be eaten. Taste so sour. I have question about how should I ferment the kimchi, should I put it in an airtight container? Because My friend said that the kimchi should not be exposed to air during the fermentation process, is it true? So what I did is close the jar with thick plastict make sure that it is airtight. Then after 2 days I open the lid then put it in the refrigerator. But it tase so sour. Next time I will try to make it, what should I do? Is it okay that the container is not airtight?
    Thank you so much…

  29. anniekd Ohio joined 12/16 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi, I made your kimchi tonight and it’s fabulous! The only thing I did different was that I chopped the cabbage into bite size pieces. I plan on giving it to my friends and family. They will love it, too! Thank you for a great recipe, video and pictures.


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  30. Raya Canada joined 12/16 & has 2 comments

    Hi everybody! I made this kimchi batch last night and tasted it today it was perfect. Thanks to your great recipe Maangchi! I added a cup and a half of hot pepper flakes since i like medium heat. If you don’t have radish, make sure the cabbage leaves aren’t salty before adding the kimchi paste. If you have extra kimchi paste, just add it on top of your kimchi like i did here!

    Happy cooking!~


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  31. sueean183 Malaysia joined 12/16 & has 1 comment

    A total success for me. Thank you Maangchi !! Love you loads….


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  32. Sio lover Ksa joined 12/16 & has 46 comments

    Maangchi I did the kimichi today I know that it doesnt taste and look red as yours because the red pepper flakes are not available in my area so I used pepper flakes that is red brown so do I have to put it in the fridge or keep it out to ferment?

    • BartaBhaus Toronto joined 12/16 & has 2 comments

      Hi, I make kimchi quiet a lot so I can answer your question. Once kimchi paste is applied to the cabbage, you have to let it start to ferment at a room temperature, depending on the temperature and humidity time varies, but generally speaking 2 days is enough for fermentation to start. Taste and smell it, you have to see that bacteria has begun to grow, it has to be pungent, sour and alive. Once you transfer your kimchi into the fridge, fermentation continues but at a slower rate. I think it is the best after a couple of weeks fermenting in the firdge, it has a sharp sour taste that wakes you up.

  33. ystan Malaysia joined 12/16 & has 1 comment

    I just make kimchi today use your recipe,just change a little to suit the spicy taste only,is first time do.i just ferment it about 5hrs coz i at malaysia ,the weather is much more humidity and quite warm.i will see how the taste after few day.thank you for sharing.

  34. Estie Singapore joined 12/16 & has 2 comments

    Maangchi, HELP!
    I cooked too much porridge. My cabbage shrinked after soaking it with sea salt. :(
    What can i do with the remaining porridge?
    Thank you.

    • BartaBhaus Toronto joined 12/16 & has 2 comments

      Cabbage shrinks after soaking it with salt, because salt draws water out of it, makes it soft and easy to make rolls out of it. The amount of salt needed is just a small pinch between each leaf, and after 2 hours it will become soft enough for you to roll. So applying ample amounts of salt is unnecessary. And there is no such thing as too much porridge, porridge is a body of your kimchi, it will become a fermented paste that is great on its own, or as a flavour enhancer of your favorite dish. Sometimes I just take a few spoons of paste from my kimchi jar, without cabbage, and mix it into rice or pasta. Mix all your veg, garlic, ginger etc. with your porridge and use it all for your cabbage. Your cabbage could be swimming in it and that is absolutely fine.

  35. Lisatlh Singapore joined 11/16 & has 2 comments

    Hi maangchi!
    I love kimchi and would like to try making it today!
    But i dont have kosher salt, can i subsitue it with normal salt?

    • sanne Munich joined 8/14 & has 309 comments

      “Kosher salt” just means to make it kosher, i.e. to draw out blood.
      Sea salt is the best to make kimchi.

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

      Yes, you can. Check this out, please. https://www.maangchi.com/blog/using-salt

    • dduelm Washington, DC joined 12/16 & has 1 comment

      Hi, keep in mind that in case you did not know, Kosher salt is pure salt, that is sodium chloride, and “normal salt” I think you mean, is Iodized salt. I have read that using Iodized salt, since it has iodine in it, can impart unpleasant flavors and cause unexpected colors with the food. One example is when using iodized salt to brine meat. It can make the meat appear disturbingly pink and have an off taste. I agree that Kosher salt is best, and one can also use “Pickling salt” but be careful to use LESS pickling salt than one would use Kosher salt because the grain size of the Kosher salt is so much larger, you could accidentally use too much pickling salt, which resembles table sugar in grain size and texture. I hope this helps!

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