Kimchee

[bhchao]

Just curious, how is everyone's tolerance level for kimchee, Korea's most famous dish?

When I was little, I always avoided it at the dinner table even though my grandmother kept suggesting me to try it. I always needed to drink a cup of water after trying it.

Now as an adult, I must have kimchee whenever I visit Korean restaurants with my friends. In fact the spicier the kimchee the better. One of the best ways to deal with the spiciness is to complement it with rice.

[Lu]

A Korean meal is not complete without it!

[wushijiao]

I love Kimchee as well!

I heard there are lots of regional varieties. Is that true?

[yorkie_bear]

Came back from South Korea not too long ago for a holiday. Great, wonderful food. And the zillion different kinds of kimchee you can get was fantastic! Actually did not find it that hot, but I think there is different kinds of 'hotness' which people are able to tolerate.

[bhchao]

I heard there are lots of regional varieties. Is that true?

Yes, you might want to check this out. It has information on the regional types of kimchee in Korea: http://www.kimchi.or.kr/eng/main.jsp

During the old days, kimchee was stored underground in tight jars to prevent cold from disrupting the fermentation process.

[Long Zhiren]

I first learned of this as a Chinese dish:

泡菜 (I think that's how it's spelled, but I'm not sure.)

However, the Korean kim chi seems to be a distinctly different beast, especially because it involves seafood in its preparation. It's also stinkier...

[Battosai]

Oops, I voted wrong (2), I thought the second option was ' prefer to have Korean meal with it'

Kimchee rules!

[Yuchi]

Oops, I voted wrong (2), I thought the second option was ' prefer to have Korean meal with it'

Kimchee rules!

Haha me too.

I had some in Shanghai, but it wasn't as good as the one my mum's korean friend made.

[gougou]

If Kimchee really is 泡菜, I guess I voted wrong too...

I guess this poll is not going to be very representative anymore!

[bhchao]

I guess this poll is not going to be very representative anymore!

I'm kind of surprised at the overwhelming liking for kimchee. Thought there was going to be a couple "Can't stand it" votes. By all means, be honest.

The type I usually eat is the cabbage kind. I'm not a big fan of the turnip kimchee. The latter does taste very deliciously crisp in the mouth though.

[Ian_Lee]

In many Korean restaurants outside Korea, they serve two kinds of Kimchee -- the less spciy and/or the less exotic kind.

Usually I will tell the waitress to give me "Hansik" (Korean style). I like the spicy fish cake (oden) and the vinegar-marinated seaweed.

[bhchao]

Anyone a big fan of kimchi jigae? (kimchee soup broth with kimchee and slices of beef or pork). Another favorite of mine is kimchee bogum bap (fried rice)

I have yet to try kimchee pa jeon. Have you tried this before Ian?

[Ian_Lee]

Bhchao:

I prefer Haemu Pajeon (seafood pancake). In Honolulu, many new Korean restaurants mushroom. Now they have replaced Chinese restaurants as my favorite family dinner place.

[kaifaqu crue]

Hmmm... In Shenyang and Dalian, I always heard of and refered to Kimchee as 辣白菜 (la bai cai), not 泡菜. Regardless of what you call it, it's very good and alongside rice can be a meal in itself if you are really poor.

[bhchao]

Recently there was a kimchee crisis between South Korea and China because kimchee imported from China was found to contain parasite eggs that came from human excrement used as fertilizer. The eggs then came into contact with the cabbage during agricultural production. Ugh!

This came as a shock to many South Koreans since kimchee is like the national pastime, and a country's food represents a country's culture as much as its people and geography do. Unfortunately, this recent spat has caused anti-Chinese sentiments in South Korea.

South Korea banned imports of kimchee from China. In response, China banned several food products from South Korea.

China may be partly blamed for the contaminated kimchee, but Korea's FDA should have provided more stringent inspection standards to ensure that imported kimchee from China are thoroughly checked before they reach the shelves. The LA Times said, "samples of Korean-made kimchi tested by Seoul were also reported to have parasite eggs"

One way to ensure that the kimchee on your table is not contaminated like this is to make your own kimchee, which many Koreans do. Just buy cabbage from the market; rinse it thoroughly with water; slice it; wash it again; add chili peppers, garlic, and salt to the cabbage in a large bowl; and mix the ingredients together with your hands (make sure you wash your hands beforehand and wear plastic gloves).

Many Korean restaurants also make their own kimchee in this manner.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fi-kimchi24nov24,0,1309927.story?coll=la-home-headlines

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/GJ26Cb02.html

[kkoma]

I'm not a great lover of Kimchi -- 김치...

I prefer Bulgogi (불고기), Sam gye tang (삼계탕), and Sam gyup sal (삼겹살)

[ala]

This came as a shock to many South Koreans since kimchee is like the national pastime, and a country's food represents a country's culture as much as its people and geography do. Unfortunately, this recent spat has caused anti-Chinese sentiments in South Korea.

lol... anti-Chinese sentiment in S Korea is nothing new. The media there loves this kind of stuff. Thank god to Bush and the Iraqi War for lightening the load on the Chinese.

[bhchao]

But now Bush and Rumsfield are refocusing their attentions back to China.

The post-9/11 honeymoon between the US and China is over.

It will be interesting to see if both Korea and Japan share anti-Chinese sentiments in the future. Public opinion in Japan towards China are already at all-time lows.

Anti-Chinese sentiments in Korea, although rare, usually occur on matters of national and cultural pride, for example the Koguryo issue or this kimchee spat. These issues may be trivial and can easily be resolved through dialogue and cultural exchanges. But Korean pride is a force to be reckoned with. Infringe upon it and they will come after you.

On the other hand, anti-Chinese sentiments in Japan are on the rise due to killings of Japanese citizens by Chinese students studying in Japan, and last year's protests in China.

It's better for China and South Korea not to let trivial issues like this damage the potential for a stronger, mutually beneficial relationship in the future. South Korea could become a key ally for either China or Japan that could tip the balance for either country.

[ala]

I agree.

Anti-Chinese sentiment in S Korea has a lot to do with pride and socioeconomic prejudice (prejudice based on the Chinese currently being poorer, have poorer manners in public, and that some Chinese youths have an unjustified sense of entitlement: the Middle Kingdom complex). All of which can be changed as China grows richer and its population more educated.

Anti-Chinese sentiment in Japan is more complex. One is driven by the fear that China will overtake Japan economically--the belief that what little influence Japan has in the world today will be further obliterated in the next 20 years by a rather belligerant China (millions of anti-Japanese Chinese citizens). Many Japanese leaders also feel that anti-Chinese sentiment in Japan is partially the fault of the Chinese government's encouragement of anti-Japanese attitudes in the last decade (a charge that is mostly true, given that relationship with Japan during the 1980's was great); this belief makes the Japanese even less willing to change their anti-Chinese feelings. This is like a stagnant unhappy marriage with each convicted that the other is at fault; it's hard to reach a breakthrough.

[owshawng]

I've grown to love kimchee over the years. At first I found it way to hot and it would upset my stomach. But the more times I tried it, the stronger my stomach became and now I won't consider going back to a korean reastaurant if I didn't like their appetizers. Perhaps kimchee is an acquired taste. like beer?

I also enjoy eating Taiwanese pickled vegtables both spicy and non-spicy. Nothing says saturday morning to me like a bowl of water rice with assorted pickled vegtables and dried shredded pork.