고모 김치: A Preservation

I’ve heard of it, but what is it?

Kimchi is a spicy traditional Korean dish made from fermented cabbage (typically Napa cabbage—although you can kimchify just about anything you really want) and various other vegetables and spices. Not only is kimchi delicious, it’s also incredibly healthy and packed with nutrients, from a variety of vitamins to numerous minerals to an abundance of amino acids, and natural probiotics.

It is ridiculously versatile and can be eaten as a side dish with rice or noodles and whatever protein of your choosing, or as a main dish, like in the form of a stew, like kimchi jjigae. It goes with everything, and how you use it varies with the different stages of kimchi: fresh, ripe, overripe. Fresh kimchi is best paired directly with dishes like bossam, ripe kimchi is great for kimchi fried rice, and overripe kimchi is ideal for kimchijeon (pancakes) or kimchi jjigae.

Growing up, we ate it with everything from Spam fried rice to spaghetti. These days, people and places (professional chefs, fast food chains, food enthusiasts) combine it with eats from cultures all around the world: tacos, quesadillas, poutine, burgers and hotdogs, avocado toast, ramen, fish and chips, latkes, grilled cheese/toasties, Bloody Marys, and even desserts.

What’s your favorite food to pair with kimchi?