.: evil jungle prince :.

That first picture is making my mouth water....it looks abosultely delicious and spicy...just the way I like it :)

Does all the commercially avl kimchee have oysters in 'em? And a dumb question. Is fish sauce vegetarian?

Nabeela: that batch turned out pretty good! I like mine spicy too.

Suganaya: nearly all kimchi is made with fish sauce or some sort but not necessarily oysters. And yep, fish sauce is made out of fish, or at least seafood. :-) A lot of people ask me if there is a vegetarian fish sauce option but I have not heard of any. Fish sauce is required to lend kimchi pungency, an important taste in Korean cuisine.

We tried just salting first, like Eun Jeong's mother had done. Yet it was too slow, so we soaked them in brine in the end.

Diggin the kimchi! I worked with a Korean cook for a short time and he used to use the 2 hour salting method. Also, I wanted to stop by and let you know I mentioned your site in my blog post today (My Favorite Food Blogs - http://www.hellchef.com/foodblog) Thanks again for a great site! chefjp

Wow...cool video! I was not even aware that raw oysters were used in kimchee-making, but I am so intrigued by what the end-result of this recipe would taste like, that I believe I'll give it a whirl! Thanks for sharing.

Hi there ! Your website has truly inspired me. In the fridge right now I have batches of mat kimchi, kkaktugi and chonggak kimchi I made after reading your recipes. I liked kimchi before but now I can't keep away from it. Thanks so much for the inspiration !! Do you have any kkaennip seeds you can send me ? Impossible to find Korean perilla here in the UK...Keep up the good work, Will (UK)

Zen: I'm trying the non-brine style right for the first time. Looks pretty good so far. I'll post it if it works.

Chef: I've recently read that the salt-only method should be for 12-24 hours. That sounds more reasonable to me. In two hours, the cabbage barely wilts at all.

Pelicano: I haven't tried it with raw oysters yet.. just fish sauce.. but I bet it really adds heaps to the flavor.

William: glad to hear it! Yes, I'm always interested in trading seeds. Let me know your email address.

i just bought kimchi yesterday cuz my own did NOT turn out.. i think i've given up all hope on trying to learn how to do it.. :( the worst part is.. my bf is korean so i really (ideally) should learn from him.. lol but his philosophy about kimchi is that it's some sort of secret club that his mommy won't let him in on.. HAHAHHA

Deborah: what went wrong? Maybe I can help.

ha.. sory about getting back about this comment late.. i always forget about these things. anyways, i don't know what went wrong. it did NOT taste nice though.. it was like kinda sharp and bitter. as well, the liquid was more clear and brownish than red. i found this cute little stand in the local asian market and have started BUYING kimchi from the lady there cuz she makes it SO GOOD...

ok.. i just viewed the video (which i probably should have done earlier) and i have a couple questions..
1. is she heating the mochiko+water mixture over the stove?
2. she used thai fish sauce vs korean anchovy sauce--difference? maybe the oysters make up for it??
3. is a korean radish the same thing as a daikon radish?
4. raw oysters? optional?
5. sea salt or reg salt?
6. the fermentation process.. did she cover anything while she was leaving it in a cool place for a day?

i am excited. i want to try this now.

1. is she heating the mochiko+water mixture over the stove?

Yes, but just until you get the first few bubbles, then turn off immediately.

2. she used thai fish sauce vs korean anchovy sauce--difference? maybe the oysters make up for it??

Could be, I don't use oysters since I can't buy them fresh locally. I have however used Thai fish sauce in the past and can tell you it makes terrible kimchi. Buy some good Korean fish sauce at a K-market or online and it'll make all the difference. Even if you can't read Korean, the front of the bottle will show kimchi on it.

3. is a korean radish the same thing as a daikon radish?

Yes, it's just shaped different but the taste is the same.

4. raw oysters? optional?

Optional. I never use them.

5. sea salt or reg salt?

Regular salt will ruin your kimchi. You must use a sea salt in order for the fermentation process to begin. And don't use a metal bowl because it will also ruin the fermentation process. Must be plastic or ideally ceramic.

6. the fermentation process.. did she cover anything while she was leaving it in a cool place for a day?

She really should have explained that the temperature should be around 70-75 degrees and that it should sit for 24 hours before being placed into the refrigerator. If this doesn't happen, the kimchi doesn't have a chance to ferment. None of the standard kimchi cookbooks explain this... this is the real secret to kimchi.

i am excited. i want to try this now.

Go for it and let me know how it turns out!

Hi all,

I was under the impression that she left the kimchee in the salt for 4 hours. Because she checked it after 2 then it said 2 hours later again...maybe I'm mistaken. Anyway 4 hours seems better than 2. I'll ask my mom tonight! :)

hey i think that jane might be right. it is for 4 hours. cuz i rewatched the vid and it is 2 hours sitting there then turned and redistributed and set for another 2 hours.

i am actaully trying this recipe, as we speak. it is at 2 hours and i just turned em.

i also could not find the korean fish sauce and the one the lady uses in the vid is a thai fish sauce that i am familiar with. i don't have oysters though.. that is NOT going to happen.

i am thoroughly excited.

Guys, I didn't mean "salt for 24 hours" -- sheesh! The salting should just be long enough to get rid of the liquids in the cabbage -- she mentions in the video sometimes you even have to leave it over night, but when I tried the non-brine salting method as shwon, it only took a few hours before most of the liquids had been released.

What I meant by "sit for 24 hours" is allow it to sit for 24 hours AFTER you have squeezed out the liquids and stuffed the cabbage with seasonings. It's then that you allow the kimchi to sit for 24 hours before refrigerating it. That's when the fermentation process begins. If you drain the liquids and stuff it and then put it right into the fridge, you'll get no fermentation and it won't taste right. At least for this type of kimchi.

Sorry for the confusion!

Hi,
I am the person who made the Kimchi video.
There are some different ways of making kimchi, but basically I am showing traditional way of kimchi making in my video.

Check out my blog that I recently made at
http://www.koreancookingshow.blogspot.com/

I will answer your questions.
You will see my video and others' comments on my kimchi video by typing
"Kimchi" on youtube.com.

Thanks!

from Maangchi

Thanks Maangchi, I visited your blog and it's terrific!

i forgot to squeeze the liquids out of my turnip and cabbage.. i have since "fermented" the vegetables and stuck them into the fridge. i think it's turned out? or should i let it "age" in the fridge for a week or so....

i am so happy i saw maangchi's site. i want to learn to make the tofu jigae. haven't had much luck so far..

I think it'll be ok. Just be sure to eat within 1-2 weeks or it'll go bad quickly, because of the high water content.

hey this might be a smidge late.. but i noticed that everytime i have done the kimchi, it tastes kinda strongly bitter too.. not just sour? does that make sense too? there is a strange astringenty taste somewhere in there. maybe it's a sharp sour.. but i never leave it out very long.. any suggestions? i followed the recipe from the vid as close as possible.. with only a FEW substitutions (i.e. i didn't use that mochiko powder cuz i couldn't find it)

The Mochiko powder is optional so it's not that. If it tastes bitter, I think there could be two problems:

- you're using the wrong fish sauce. Are you using Korean fish sauce or a Thai fish sauce? Thai fish sauce makes kimchi taste yucky and smokey.

- you're not allowing the kimchi to ferment long enough. Mix in the seasoning, allow to sit for 24 hours, then place into refrigerator and allow to stay for at least one week. If you're not doing 24 hours of non-refrigeration, you're not allowing it a chance to ferment properly.

i am using thai fish sauce... but they lady in video used thai fish sauce....

i let it ferment for 24 hours on the counter.. shoud i do longer? i left it to ferment in open air and then placed the lid on for the fridge...

Deb: believe me, Thai fish sauce really makes the kimchi yucky tasting. It tastes too sweet and smokey.

Also I would totally avoid leaving your kimchi in the open air. For the fermentation process to occur proper, everything needs to be sterile. A ceramic vessel with an airtight light is best, but you can use plastic containers with tight lids too. If you left the kimchi exposed to the air, I would not eat it.. you might get sick.

damn! i can't find the korean fish sauce anywhere!! and i have a korea town in my area... i went to their super market and cannot find it :S

how sterile? :S damn... man this is going to be tricky. i don't know where i can find a nice big container that would do the trick. i'm going to be attempting this again.. even if it is with the same fish sauce. DAMN IT!

oh right, so the fermentation.. it's air tight containers for 24 hours in room temp and then refrigerator?

I know this is way late but I had some comments to make.

On the vegetarian kimchi, yes there are korean people who make their kimchi without any seafood. Just salt. I prefer the seafood especially the salty shrimp.

Deborah: on the the fish sauce look for anchovy sauce,(yek juk) ka-na-ri is the brand name. It kinda looks like light soysauce and has a picture of kimchi on the bottle. It is pain to find but you can. Or you can find the salted shrimp in the regerated section, and chop those babies up.

Hi.. Im frm philippines. only few filipino know kimchi because it is not popular in our country. When a japanese freind of mine introduced kimchi i start to like it.Korean are very lucky to have kimchi. I really love kimchi and i didnt stop until i saw this video.Of all the video ive seen this one is GREAT!!! Thanks coz ill be able to make my own kimchi at home, not just ordinary kimchi recipe but an extra ordinary recipe... Thank you very much....