Emergency kimchi

Hi everybody!
In this video I’m showing you a method I developed to make kimchi simply and easily. It’s faster and easier because I skip the porridge-making step, I use common cabbage instead of napa cabbage, and I don’t use oysters or fermented squid.

Why? Because this is an emergency! : )

Total time to make this kimchi is 30 minutes. If you have fast hands, it might be 20-25 minutes.

Most people know that traditional, authentic kimchi is made with napa cabbage (in Korean: “baechu”). While I travel, I sometimes see napa cabbage sold at local markets, but it’s not available in many countries. So when I want kimchi when I travel I make it with common cabbage (in Korean: “yangbaechu”). I know others have also been experimenting with this.

It’s a recipe that I developed over numerous trips to countries where napa cabbage wasn’t available. Which is why I call it “emergency kimchi.”

You could use this recipe when you need to make kimchi rapidly, or if there’s no napa cabbage where you live.

I stayed at the beach in Puerto Escondido, Mexico for 4 days. I made this kimchi on the second day and enjoyed it for the rest of the time I was there. The leftover kimchi was given to my new friend Bev from Arkansas. I’ll tell you about her in my next blog.

Ingredients

Cabbage, kosher salt, Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru), fish sauce, sugar, garlic, green onions, and carrot.

Directions

1. Cut 2 pounds of cabbage into thin strips about 2-3 inches in length and ¼ inch wide. Place into a large bowl.
2. Add 1 cup cold water and ¼ cup kosher salt. Mix it well with your hands to properly salt the cabbage.
3. Set aside for 10 minutes.
   
4. Make kimchi paste by mixing these ingredients in a bowl:
   ⅓ cup hot pepper flakes,
   1 tbs sugar,
   ¼ cup fish sauce,
   ¼ cup minced garlic,
   3-4 stalks of chopped green onion (⅓ cup worth),
   ¼ cup’s worth of julienned carrot
   
5. Wash and rinse the salted cabbage in cold water a couple of times. Drain the water.
   
6. Mix the kimchi paste into the cabbage thoroughly.
7. Put the kimchi into a container, jar, or plastic bag.
   
8. Press the top of the kimchi down with your hands to protect your kimchi from being exposed to too much air.
9. You can eat it right away, just like salad. Or keep it at room temperature and it will ferment in a few days. Fermented kimchi can be used for kimchi stir-fried rice or kimchi stew, and it will be delicious.

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