Mixed Martial Kimchi

MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko hanging out in Korea. He's one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world but nothing says badass like putting on some rubber gloves and making some kimchi.

Kimchi Fries

Frysmith is a gourmet food truck in Los Angeles providing some interesting french fry creations. We're particularly drawn to the Kimchi Fries which consists of kimchi, pork, onions and cheddar cheese. Unfortunately, we're stuck on the east coast so we will have to make our own some day. In the mean time, pictures will have to do.

pic source: Frysmith

The Process

There are three steps to making any kimchi.

• Salting/brining the vegetable
• Mixing the ingredients
• Fermenting the kimchi.

1. Salting/Brining

Almost all kimchi will have to be salted before adding the ingredients. The purpose of salting the vegetable is so that it can season and prepare the vegetable by softening and reducing the water within it. It also kills any of the critters or bugs hiding inside the leaves and roots.

We never understood why people would wash their kimchi only to salt it and wash it again. It seems like useless work. Instead, we recommend salting/brining the vegetable and then washing it to get rid of any additional salt and bugs.

Of course there are some exceptions like radish kimchi, which doesn't get washed afterwards. We'd definitely recommend washing the radish before hand.


2. Mixing the Ingredients

Mixing the ingredients is just that. Add the seven plus ingredients, until thoroughly mixed. Nothing mixes better than the old fashioned hand. Your hands will be able to get every piece of garlic and ginger on every crook and cranny. Of course, with the advent of disposable plastic gloves we don't have to endure the garlic smell on our palms like our moms did. Thongs work well too but takes a few minutes longer to incorporate all the ingredients.

3. Fermenting the Kimchi

Kimchi like many other fermented foods was originally developed as a way to preserve food. However over the decades, its become a staple of Korean cuisine and is fast growing in popularity around the world. Research shows that the active bacteria required to ferment kimchi will grow in 3% brine, hence the salting process.

One of the most important types of bacteria that develops in kimchi is the one belonging to the genus Lactobacillus. It produces lactic acid which provides the sour taste you find in kimchi and it also creates an ph environment that prevents harmful bacteria from growing.

To kick start the fermentation process, the kimchi should be placed at room temperature in order for the bacteria to grow. This usually takes 1-3 days depending on the temperature of the room. The colder it is, the slower the bacteria is to form.

Of course if you enjoy fresh kimchi and want to slow down the ripening process, make sure to place your kimchi in the coldest part of the refrigerator immediately.

The Ingredients

There are several different types of ingredients that one can put into their kimchi. The following are the basic ingredients you need to make kimchi. While each family has their own method of making kimchi and adds additional ingredients to make it their own, the following seven ingredients are the only thing you need for the most basic kimchi.

1. The Vegetable
2. Salt
3. Red Pepper Powder
4. Garlic
5. Ginger
6. Green Onion aka Scallion
   
7. Sugar

1. The Vegetable:

Most people are familiar with Napa cabbage kimchi but there are lots of other vegetables that can be used in making kimchi including Korean radish, cucumbers, green onions, bok choi, watercress, etc. Traditionally, Koreans would make a certain type of kimchi based on the season and availability of the vegetable. Today, most vegetables are available year round so the only requirement is that the vegetable be fresh.

2. The Salt:

Traditionally, sea salt is used to both salt and season the vegetable. Table salt or Kosher salt can also be used. However, in most of our recipes we opted to use Kosher salt because its more readily available than sea salt. Also, table salt tends to have a metallic taste that doesn’t seem to be present in Kosher salt. All three types can be used but we recommend Kosher salt.

3. Red Pepper Powder:

Red pepper powder is the most important ingredient next to the vegetable. A good red pepper powder makes your kimchi not only taste better but look better. Please note that the red pepper powder you use in kimchi is not the same you find in your local supermarket and pizzeria. While similar to Korean red pepper powder, Italian red pepper powder utilizes the seeds and does not grind the pepper into a fine powder.

It would be best to grow, and grind your own red pepper powder. Of course, if you don’t have the time, devotion, deseeding minions, etc., we would recommend going to your local Korean market and getting the prepackaged kind.

When you go to your local Korean market, you will probably have to walk through the isles and search for the dry ingredient section. There are several brands you can choose from so it won’t be that hard to find. At larger Korean markets, an entire isle can be devoted solely to red pepper powder.

Depending on your needs, the pepper is packed in small 8 ounce shakers to large bags weighing up to a pound. (I would recommend buying more than you need and keeping the rest in the freezer in an air tight container.) The important thing is to find a red pepper powder that is made in Korea. Take your time and read the packaging. Red pepper powder made in other countries tend to be overly spicy and very dark in color while the powders made in Korea generally seem to be of better quality. The flakes should not be noticeably big nor should the powder be too fine.

As a personal note, using poor quality red pepper powder has resulted in a product that is fire red.

4, 5, 6. Garlic, Ginger, Green Onion

The three G's as we call it. These three ingredients are easy to find at any store. Just make sure they are fresh and make sure garlic and ginger are minced fine because everything in kimchi is raw, and nothing is worse than biting into a horribly raw and bitter chunk of ginger.

7. Sugar

We used granulated sugar in every recipe we used. Although there are different types of sugar out there, granulated sugar like kosher salt is easy to find and consistent in flavor. Also, many health consicous Koreans use ground up sweet onion or Korean pear instead of sugar.

The Other Ingredients:

You will notice that we didn't list fish sauce, salted shrimp or rice flour in the basic 7 ingredients. These three ingredients are commonly used in kimchi but not necessary.

8. Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is derived from a small fish, typically an anchovy or squid that is salted and then stored for nearly a year. The liquid that accumulates throughout this period is then distilled for a clear fish liquid. The smell is distinct and flavor salty and savory.

One of the most popular fish sauces on the market is the Three Crabs Vietnamese fish sauce sold in various markets. This is the brand we used in our kimchi recipes since it has a great taste and is easily available, but please note that Three Crabs adds fructose and hydrolyzed wheat protein to their fish sauce.

Almost all brands will work but keep in mind that the salt content can differ from one brand to another. Also like Three Crabs, many companies add additional ingredients so make sure to read the labels.

9. Salted Shrimp

While many kimchi makers use fish sauce in their dishes, many others use salted shrimp. Found in the refrigerator section in your local Korean market, it consists of very small shrimp that is intensely salted. While it comes in small jars, it can be used to make several batches of kimchi.

The reason an animal product like shrimp or fish is frequently used in kimchi is because it encourages the fermentation process and adds an additional depth of flavor to kimchi.

10. Rice Flour

Rice flour is usually used when making large batches of kimchi. The flour is mixed with water and boiled in order to create a glue-like consistency. Once cooled, the ingredients are added to the glue to make a paste. The purpose of adding rice flour is to ensure that every ingredient is well incorporated. Also, the rice flour mellows the raw taste of the ingredients.

11. MISC

There are numerous different types of kimchi and ways to make it. Some add additional vegetables like carrots or seafood like raw oysters. Once you get the fundamentals of kimchi making down, you will realize there are endless possible methods to making kimchi.

Introduction to Kimchi

Kimchi is one of the easiest and most versatile Korean side dishes that you can make. It’s basically a spicy pickled vegetable. You salt the vegetable, add the spices, and mix. But for some reason we can't find a good simple kimchi recipe online.

On Youtube.com, we've come across some of the weirdest recipes all calling themselves "authentic" or "traditional." Adding vinegar to your kimchi is not authentic. Pouring anything warm let alone hot onto a fresh mound of Napa cabbage is not only a bad idea, if our Korean moms saw you do that, they'd punch you in the face.

And while Google.com provides you with every possible variation of kimchi, it’s unfortunately just that. Wading through pages and pages of random recipes is not the best use of one’s time.

Finally there’s the cookbook. We went through both Korean and Korean-English cookbooks trying out each and every recipe. The Korean-English versions we encountered were incredibly inconsistent. And while some of the Korean language cookbooks we read were great, it really wasn’t going to be much use to someone who can’t read the language.

We’re not advocating that we are providing the best kimchi recipes online, or that our videos will be the best you see. We are sure there are good videos and recipes out there but what we wanted to do was deconstruct, demystify and simply the process for the everyday person.

Based on this goal, we spoke with our moms who are veteran kimchi makers but they could not stop using words like 'pinch', 'handful', and my favorite 'appropriate amount' to describe their kimchi recipes so we went through hours and hours of videos, recipes, and books, complied all the information and are presenting them in a way which will hopefully turn kimchi making from a foreign concept into something that you can do any time, any day, in any kitchen in the world.

Finally, you will notice that these recipes have been reduced in volume. All the kimchi recipes we encountered required large amounts of ingredients. While an average Korean family might go through several servings of kimchi in a single day, many don't. Therefore, we reduced the volume to make it more manageable.

Vegan & Gluten-Free Radish Kimchi

While most Americans are familiar with napa cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi is also one of the most popular kimchis in korea. In Korean, this kimchi is called 깍두기 "Kaktugi". Usually eaten with hearty soups and stews, this kimchi is the easiest and fastest kimchi to make.

The Ingredients:

• 1 medium size Korean radish (approximately 2 pounds)
• 1 Tbs and 1 tsp of kosher salt (for initial salting)
• 1 1/2 Tbs of Korean red pepper powder
• 1 1/2 Tbs of sugar
• 1 Tbs of minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp of minced ginger
• 2 stalks of scallion cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tsp of kosher salt

The Three Part Process:

• Prepping and salting the radish

Peel the Korean radish, cut off the ends and wash. Cut the radish into 1 inch cubes and put in a bowl. Add 1 Tbs and 1 tsp of kosher salt and toss. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drain and discard any liquid that pools at the bottom of the container.

• Mixing the ingredients

Add Korean red pepper powder, sugar, minced garlic, minced ginger, scallions and 2 tsp of kosher salt and mix well. Once thoroughly mixed, taste and add more salt, sugar or red pepper powder to suit your preference. Store in an air tight container (otherwise, your whole refrigerator might smell like kimchi). Make sure to leave a bit of room at the top of your container. The radish will continue to give off liquid increasing the volume of your kimchi.

• Fermentation
  

The kimchi is ready to eat. It will be refreshing, crunchy and flavorful with a nice spicy kick but this fresh kimchi will be missing that unique sour taste of ripe kimchi.

To let it ripen, keep at room temperature for 1 to 2 days to get the fermentation process started and then store in the refrigerator. Store for another 2-3 days before you begin to eat. While edible at any time, you will definitely taste the fermentation occurring most strongly during this period.

As the kimchi ripens, it will get more sour and bubbles may form. Kimchi will last for several weeks/months and does not go bad. Rather, the kimchi will taste more sour as time goes by. When it gets too sour for you to eat you use it to make stews.

• Notes

As a side note, many Koreans replace sugar with a sugar substitute for this particular type of kimchi. You will notice that once ripened, the radish kimchi tends to give off more liquid than the typical napa cabbage kimchi. As the radish ripens, the spicy red liquid tends to become gummy if sugar is used. While using a sugar substitute prevents the radish kimchi "soup" from becoming viscous, its really a matter of preference. Also, more health conscious Koreans use ground up sweet onion or Korean pear instead of sugar to sweeten the kimchi.

Korean restaurants tend to add a lot more sugar to their kimchi to cater to the western palate.

The best part of Korean dramas are the food scenes and in the greatest Korean drama ever, the 2005's "My Lovely Sam Soon", the heroine dumps an entire bowl of rice plus a generous portion of 깍두기 liquid into her hangover soup before inhaling it. Made me drool...that is until she spits it all out over her boss after he proposes they date. I make this kimchi simply to recreate that scene. :)