Kimchi is one of those dishes that tends to get pigeonholed. The boldly-flavored, spicy-tangy-sour fermented condiment is an iconic staple of Korean cuisine. It’s the ever-present star of any banchan spread—the selection of small side dishes that accompany rice ahead of the main course of a traditional Korean meal. Its prized, signature funk is used to add complexity to any number of stews, rice and noodle dishes, and savory snacks.
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So maybe I should qualify my opening statement. It’s not that the kimchi is thought of as a one-trick pony in terms of its culinary applications, but rather that folks rarely think of any type of kimchi beyond the most popular Napa cabbage version. It’s a great baseline, to be sure, but as these recipes prove, it’s not the only vegetable or fruit that plays well in the kimchi club (and even good old cabbage can be turned into a cooling white kimchi that’s not the spicy standard you might expect).
No matter what you want to use as your main ingredient, get a lesson in making your own kimchi from Atoboy‘s chef de cuisine YeongSoo Lee: