# Kimchee anyone???



## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

Does anyone make their own? I make my own, much to my fiance's chagrin after I stink up the house. Very simple to do. Any recipes from anyone?


----------



## fingersandclaws (Oct 17, 2005)

What kind of kimchee do ya make? We usually just buy it at the market . . . that is one labor intensive side dish!!!!


----------



## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

somebody please post one -- love that stuff & would love to give it a go.


----------



## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

fishinmama said:


> somebody please post one -- love that stuff & would love to give it a go.


With all do respect mama, if a Korean says "buy it from the market it is too labor intensive" he means it.  Have you ever seen Anthony Bourdaine (No reservations) ? Look and see when he is on (usually Monday nights around 10) he did a show this year when he went to Korea to tour the cuisine and they showed how they made kimchi. My wife and I love to cook but we won't do that. Besides we have to many critters running around that would dig up that stuff from underground 

Seriously if you do try keep us posted on the progress ... I personally will be impressed.


----------



## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

I want to make it clear that WE LOVE KIMCHI but have no intentions on trying to make it.

My favorite is the cubed radish style. I would like to try the oyster style someday.


----------



## chump (Jul 18, 2005)

My favorite kimchee is this stuff that FnC's parents grow. What is that thing and how can I grow some. (Wow, that didn't sound weird at all )


----------



## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

chump said:


> My favorite kimchee is this stuff that FnC's parents grow. What is that thing and how can I grow some. (Wow, that didn't sound weird at all )


Hey if they make some home made kimchee (turnips on crack) I wan't some of that digestive action  seriously I love that stuff!


----------



## saltandsand (Nov 29, 2007)

We buy it made with vegatables and with various meat. Kimche made with fish, beef, crabs, snails, and many other items.

BTW: I also buy some of my bait at the oriental grocery store.


----------



## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

not trying to be a smartazz, but is it so labor intensive, or more time consuming -- i know you have to let it ferment for a while.

no markets that i know of in my neighborhood carry this -- maybe i'll hafta take a run to Wegman's.


----------



## KT_UMCP (Oct 11, 2005)

Before venturing into making your own kimchee. I urge you to master the "Kimchee Squat". If you can go long periods in this position and not experience any knee, leg and back pain then it is a start. We Koreans on this board are just too familiar with this squat (haha)


----------



## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

fishinmama said:


> not trying to be a smartazz, but is it so labor intensive, or more time consuming -- i know you have to let it ferment for a while.
> 
> no markets that i know of in my neighborhood carry this -- maybe i'll hafta take a run to Wegman's.


Mama I am not trying to discourage you in anyway ... sorry if I came across that way ... please learn and try and let us know how it goes. I just saw how much effort it was on the show. Good luck! If you decide not to do it and cannot locate it maybe someone can ship you some. We have a Korean grocery store in Catonsville that has it. It is now referred to a H Mart. If you come down Baltimore way we can direct you to it.


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Kimchi = :--|

That stuff is NASTY!!! More power to the folks that like it, but I can't get it down. I forced myself past the smell, but I still couldn't do it. 

I do like baloot though. Not sure about spelling, but the I had a filipina aunt, and she fed it to me as a baby and toddler. Haven't had it in years, but last time I had it I enjoyed it.


----------



## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

basstardo said:


> Kimchi = :--|
> 
> That stuff is NASTY!!! More power to the folks that like it, but I can't get it down. I forced myself past the smell, but I still couldn't do it.
> 
> I do like baloot though. Not sure about spelling, but the I had a filipina aunt, and she fed it to me as a baby and toddler. Haven't had it in years, but last time I had it I enjoyed it.


I think the spelling is Balut   well to each his/her own. I tried that when I was over there but the juice was just dang nasty. I have to give it to you for liking balut.


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Yeah, the juice is funky. The way I was shown to do it by a guy I was in the Marines with was to boil some water in a coffee cup, and then set the egg in the cup and let it go until the bubbles stopped. I'd crack it open after than, and let the juice run off on to a place. The actual part you eat isn't bad. I haven't had it in years though, so I don't know how I'd respond now. My buddies wife was a Filipina, so I tried all sorts of things at his house, and to this day I still don't know what all of them were.


----------



## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

basstardo said:


> Yeah, the juice is funky. The way I was shown to do it by a guy I was in the Marines with was to boil some water in a coffee cup, and then set the egg in the cup and let it go until the bubbles stopped. I'd crack it open after than, and let the juice run off on to a place. The actual part you eat isn't bad. I haven't had it in years though, so I don't know how I'd respond now. My buddies wife was a Filipina, so I tried all sorts of things at his house, and to this day I still don't know what all of them were.


My wonderful wife is Filipina  so I have had the chance to try all sorts of things. Many I like some I don't. You are supposed to drink the juice (according to my wife) so that was the way I was introduced to it :--|

Since I have to watch my cholesterol I don't eat a lot of the traditional stuff (dinoguan (sp), etc) not that I would anyway ... I am not an intestine/chitlin's kind of guy. But I do love fried chicken hearts


----------



## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

*Recipe*

Actually, folks, it's not that tough to make the way I do it, and not all that labor intensive...although I don't bury mine. All you need to do is warn the other members of the household that, No, something did not crawl under the house and die...it's just the Kimchee Anyway, get a head or 2 of Bok Choi and/or Napa Cabbage or both, along with some garlic (real stuff, not powder) and some pickling salt or Kosher salt. While you are in the store, get some anchovy paste or shrimp paste (optional, but it does improve the flavor...you can use a LITTLE bit of Worchestershire Sauce instead or better, some "fish sauce" from the oriental section but use either of those sparingly) and some powdered Cayenne pepper and some crushed red pepper flakes. Cut the cabbage crosswise from top to bottom into bite-sized pieces and place in a collander. Coat thoroughly and heavily with the salt and set the collander in the sink. The salt will pull the juices out of the cabbage and tenderize it. Let it set for a bit...I normally wait about 3 hours...and then rinse the cabbage thoroughly. The cabbage will still be salty. Transfer it to a bowl while still wet, and mix in the anchovy or shrimp paste if used, the cayenne and the crushed red pepper, as well as the garlic (minced very fine), so that everything is thoroughly mixed. Pack it tightly into a sealed tupperware container and let it sit out on the counter for a few days. You can start sampling it right away, but the longer it sits out, the more intense the flavor. You can add more hot pepper to taste, but just remember to mix it again. When it tastes the way you want it, you can refrigerate it...just remember to tightly seal any other food you have in there, and remember that you will permeate the house with the odor anytime you open the container. I cleared a room of about 30 people when I brought it for lunch one day...NO KIDDING! Of course, I use more garlic than most people would. Now...you can also use the long white Daikon radish, as well as turnips, sliced thin, to mix in...just be sure you do it along with the cabbage when you initially salt it. It's great stuff in my opinion! Enjoy and let me know if any of you make it and how it turns out. Oh...amounts...if you use the shrimp or anchovy paste, about 2-3 teaspoons for 2 large heads of cabbage will do. The hot pepper is up to you, depending on how brave you are. As for garlic...start with 1 1/2 tablespoons minced per head...more if you are like me. I know I'm not Emeril or Bobby Flay, but trust me...it's good stuff.


----------



## Al Kai (Jan 8, 2007)

I like Kimchee alot, clears my sinuses
Balut on the other hand is not for me.
I recall seeing a baby duck in that egg.
That kinda killed the deal for me. I was drinking Red Horse at the time so I shoulda been able to handle it. I was at Wallace Air Station at the time.


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Al Kai said:


> Balut on the other hand is not for me.
> I recall seeing a baby duck in that egg.


Yeah, sometimes you have to spit out the beak. :beer:


----------



## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

basstardo said:


> Yeah, sometimes you have to spit out the beak. :beer:


i no longer wanna know what this stuff is!


----------



## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

fishinmama said:


> i no longer wanna know what this stuff is!


Sure you do ... don't you ?? 

It is actually not that bad ... well the taste is to me but the actual thing is not that bad.


----------



## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

basstardo said:


> Kimchi = :--|
> 
> That stuff is NASTY!!! More power to the folks that like it, but I can't get it down. I forced myself past the smell, but I still couldn't do it.
> 
> I do like baloot though. Not sure about spelling, but the I had a filipina aunt, and she fed it to me as a baby and toddler. Haven't had it in years, but last time I had it I enjoyed it.


There are many many kinds of kimchi...

Some are as fresh as a salad. It is VERY
rare to find kimchi that has been made
the old fashioned way. (Buried in the ground).


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Talapia said:


> There are many many kinds of kimchi...
> 
> Some are as fresh as a salad. It is VERY
> rare to find kimchi that has been made
> the old fashioned way. (Buried in the ground).


I must have had the old fasihoned stuff, because it smelled like my feet after a week in the field. :--|


----------



## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

basstardo said:


> I must have had the old fasihoned stuff, because it smelled like my feet after a week in the field. :--|


No, you had the regular fermented 
cabbage or turnip kimchi. The old fashioned
stuff would cost a bundle.


----------



## fishbait (Nov 11, 2005)

KT_UMCP said:


> Before venturing into making your own kimchee. I urge you to master the "Kimchee Squat". If you can go long periods in this position and not experience any knee, leg and back pain then it is a start. We Koreans on this board are just too familiar with this squat (haha)


For those of you who have not mastered the Kimchee Squat or are too old or fat to do it any more. Have no fear. I'm in the same boat and have the perfect solution. All you need is three white buckets. Turn them all upside down. The first is for the mixing bowl. the second is for the glass jar and the third is for you to sit on. Enjoy! 

If you're the kind of chap who would rather not do all this work, then all you need is one white bucket. I'm sure he could give you directions to the closest asian grocery store.


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Talapia said:


> No, you had the regular fermented
> cabbage or turnip kimchi. The old fashioned
> stuff would cost a bundle.


It was made by a Korean girl's mom, and I do remember it being the fermented cabbage stuff. My roommate in the barracks at the time was dating a Korean go-go dancer. He brought it to the barracks room one night and he about never heard the end of it from me! :--|


----------



## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

well, i went to Wegman's yesterday (regular shopping, too) hoping to find kimchee since they have a bunch of different ethnic foods...
no dice...
...girl i asked had no idea what i was talking about even after i explained what it was....i might as well have asked for fried toad turds....
my search continues....
might just hafta try sprtsracer's recipe...or one that i found on line that said "even bad kimchee is good" or something like that--thought it was cute!


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

fishinmama said:


> i might as well have asked for fried toad turds....


AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  I'm literally laughing my arse off. My wife just came out to see what was going on. Good one Mama.


----------



## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

basstardo - now i have read that you don't enjoy kimchee, but it can't be as bad as what i suggested, right? 
honest, the wegman's girl looked at me like i was nuts!....go figure?


----------



## fingersandclaws (Oct 17, 2005)

Mama, PLEASE tell me you didn't go to Wegman's and ask for kimchee . . . please . . . even if you have to bold face lie to my face, say it ain't so 

Us Koreans tend to sneak up on ya, so there ought to be an asian type market around ya, no? Don't wanna get all up in your business, but are there any major cities around ya???


----------



## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

fingersandclaws said:


> Mama, PLEASE tell me you didn't go to Wegman's and ask for kimchee . . . please . . . even if you have to bold face lie to my face, say it ain't so
> 
> Us Koreans tend to sneak up on ya, so there ought to be an asian type market around ya, no? Don't wanna get all up in your business, but are there any major cities around ya???


yeah... i did:redface:---stupid girl!:redface:

biggest nearby towns (not cities) would be allentown PA, easton PA, and to the north Stroudburg PA--- thought i'd get lucky at Wegman's -- wow was i ever wrong!


----------



## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

basstardo said:


> It was made by a Korean girl's mom, and I do remember it being the fermented cabbage stuff. My roommate in the barracks at the time was dating a Korean go-go dancer. He brought it to the barracks room one night and he about never heard the end of it from me! :--|


I did not know that you had the kimchi
in Korea. It just may have been the 
old fashioned kind then. It is not
that uncommon to make that kind 
there (if they have a place to bury it).


----------



## okimavich (Nov 13, 2006)

To clear things up, they used to bury a large clay pot in the ground up to it's neck for the purposes of refrigeration. After the fall harvest, everything needed to be pickled or lose the crop over the winter. By burying the pots, it prevented complete freezing, but kept the stuff cool enough that it controls the rate of fermentation. As the salt and water begins to "ferment" the kimchee, you start to get vinegar which sours the juices. I prefer the early fresh kimchee. My parents love the middle to sour kimchee.

Every family has a different recipe and style, but it all comes down to making sure you have enough food for the winter.

Making kimchee (kimjang) was a big event back in the day. Women would squat around a large tub and go about mixing all of the crop. This is where the term kimchee squat comes from.

That said, kimchee is made from just about everything and anything. The most popular are the cabbage and some variant of the radish. My grandmother makes it out of cucumbers, scallions and chives. There are also spicy and non-spicy varieties.

Typical additives begin with salt, water, pepper flakes and sometimes MSG. Family recipes will include sliced apples, raw oysters, snails, shrimp and anchovies.

The process isn't too hard or intensive. You just need to gather all of the ingredients and mix. Make sure all of the crevices get seasoned well.

Today, refrigeration is more modern than jars in the ground, but the process and recipes are similar.


----------



## okimavich (Nov 13, 2006)

fishinmama said:


> yeah... i did:redface:---stupid girl!:redface:
> 
> biggest nearby towns (not cities) would be allentown PA, easton PA, and to the north Stroudburg PA--- thought i'd get lucky at Wegman's -- wow was i ever wrong!


Hmm. I remember some places on 69th and Market in Philadelphia. I don't know NE PA too well. I also remember a "Japanese" restaurant near Lehigh Valley Airport. It may have been run by Koreans. They may know where to find an Asian market in the area.

Or NJ is crawling with Asians and their markets.


----------



## chump (Jul 18, 2005)

fingersandclaws said:


> Mama, PLEASE tell me you didn't go to Wegman's and ask for kimchee . . . please . . . even if you have to bold face lie to my face, say it ain't so
> 
> Us Koreans tend to sneak up on ya, so there ought to be an asian type market around ya, no? Don't wanna get all up in your business, but are there any major cities around ya???


Yo, FnC, stop beating around the bush and please share that recipe of kimchee that your folks made that I ate and loved. I want to eat that w/ the kalbi.


----------



## BubbaBlue (May 11, 2004)

Hmmm... here you go momma.

Panda's Pantry 
901 N 7th St, Allentown, PA
(610) 439-1132

FLP Asian-American Market & Gifts
149 N 9th St, Stroudsburg, PA
(570) 420-9188

Galina Inc 
1301 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, PA
(610) 277-8920

.


----------



## fingersandclaws (Oct 17, 2005)

Dang Mama, you must really dig the stuff . . . I don't even like it that much, too spicy  I always wash it off in water for my daughter and I usually end up creatively borrowing her kimchee 

I'm sure theres a place in Allentown, that sounds kinda like a place us asians would be


----------



## justfishin (Aug 30, 2006)

Never made it but my dad got me hooked on lays regular potatoe chips with a piece of kimchee on the chip ( instead of dip ) and a cold beer to wash it down. Thats good stuff. It does seem like everyone close by knows when you open the jar though. Lmao


----------



## KT_UMCP (Oct 11, 2005)

Let that kimchee ferment for awhile and lets talk about some kimchee jigae. Nothing better then a bowl of rice and some kimchee jigae on a cold winter's night. I prefer pork in mine but have used various substitutes. If you are a true Korean then I damn well know that you tried spam as well.


----------



## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

KT_UMCP said:


> you are a true Korean then I damn well know that you tried spam as well.


Now that's funny.


----------



## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

KT_UMCP said:


> Let that kimchee ferment for awhile and lets talk about some kimchee jigae. Nothing better then a bowl of rice and some kimchee jigae on a cold winter's night. I prefer pork in mine but have used various substitutes. If you are a true Korean then I damn well know that you tried spam as well.


They key is to slice it thin so that it 
will be a little crispy when you cook it.
Get some rice and you are set. salty
goodness...


----------

