Ralf Emmanuel R.

Bueno
Title: Asian Cuisine: A Review of Kimchi

Introduction:

Kimchi a staple in Korean cuisine, is a traditional side dish of salted and fermented vegetables,

such as napa cabbage and Korean radish, made with a widely varying selection of seasonings
including gochugaru (chili powder), spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (salted seafood),
etc. It is also used in a variety of soups.

There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with different vegetables as the main ingredients.
Traditionally, kimchi was stored in-ground in large earthenware to prevent the kimchi from
being frozen during the winter months. It was the primary way of storing vegetables throughout
the seasons. In the summer the in-ground storage kept the kimchi cool enough to slow down the
fermentation process. In contemporary times, kimchi refrigerators are more commonly used to
store kimchi. People eat it both ways, but for the greatest probiotic benefits, kimchi should
be eaten cold or barely warmed. Cooking will kill the beneficial bacteria in  kimchi. For
something like kimchi fried rice, fry the rice, then add cold kimchi to the hot rice without
cooking it further.

Review:

Kimchi originated in Korea during the Three Kingdoms period (1st century BC to the 7th
century AD). By that time, families had long used preservation methods to keep a constant food
supply for their families during the long, harsh winters. So, when the first cabbage arrived to
Korea in 2030 B.C., families turned to fermentation to preserve it. In the 16th century, the first
chili peppers arrived from the Americas giving kimchi its signature spicy flair, and the recipe
was complete. A blend of cabbage, garlic, ginger, hot red chili peppers, vegetables, fish sauce
and often seafood, kimchi has since established itself as a Korean culinary staple.

“cannot live without.” Whether served in a stew, a top fried rice or on its own, it seems to make
its way into every meal of the day. In autumn, South Korean employers even give their workers a
customary “kimchi bonus,” helping to subsidize the ingredients for their annual kimchi
supply. Women are traditionally the ones to prepare the dish, throwing in a pinch of this and a
handful of that to yield a flavor distinctive to each family. Even with the growing influence of
industrially produced foods—including imports of processed kimchi from China—the majority
of Koreans continue to prepare kimchi in their very own kitchens.

Conclusion:

The importance of kimchi was underscored in 2010 when torrential rains and typhoons destroyed
that year’s crop of napa cabbage, the variety most commonly used for kimchi. South Korea’s
cabbage shortage led to a sudden price spike and a full-blown cabbage crisis. In light of the
crop’s central importance, government officials were forced to respond quickly, temporarily
suspending import tariffs to stabilize prices and satisfy the nation’s demand for cabbage and, of
course, kimchi. The South Korean agricultural sector managed to recover from the cabbage crisis
of 2010, and Korean farmers continue to furnish most of the cabbage consumed in the country.
But farmers face many challenges.

 Kimchi has become a symbolic resource for all Korean people. It's a feature that makes Korean
cuisine unique. In other words, it is sui generis, despite the fact that people outside Korea try to
imitate it. It has never been the same because it constitutes a class alone. It is Korean only. No
other cuisine can borrow it. In addition to making the country stable, through kimchi the Korean
people give meaning to their world and shape their identity. Although some cultural experts say
that identity is simply defined by others, in this case, I would say that it's an inclusive process
within the Korean people themselves. The fact that Korean cultural identity has been internalized
by the Korean people is proven by the habit of making kimchi and serving it at every meal. They
say that no meal is complete without a dish of kimchi.

Kimchi is inherent to all Koreans. This cultural identity has created continuity, and is a trait of a
monocultural country. It has the capacity of uniting people from generation to generation and it
will continue through its social and historical framework. It's true that identity is fluid and
changing from time to time. Yet with its authenticity, kimchi will prevent the Korean people
from losing their identity.