Kimchi, Korea’s iconic fermented cabbage dish, is like sauerkraut with a bold, spicy twist. While there are many variations using different vegetables, the most popular and easiest to make is baechu kimchi, made with Napa cabbage. This simple recipe lets you enjoy its authentic flavor with minimal effort.
What Is Kimchi?
Kimchi is a staple Korean side dish (banchan) made from salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage) or Korean radish. It’s seasoned with a fragrant mix of spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (salted seafood).
Most kimchi varieties include gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), giving them their signature red color. However, there are also milder versions like mul kimchi (water kimchi), which has a light and refreshing taste.
Vietnamese cuisine also features pickled and fermented side dishes, such as Đồ Chua (pickled carrots and daikon) and Dưa Muối (fermented vegetables). Their tangy, spicy freshness pairs perfectly with rich, savory dishes like Thịt Kho Trứng (braised pork & eggs) and Cá Kho (braied catfish).
What Does Kimchi Taste Like?
Kimchi boasts a bold, well-balanced flavor—spicy, tangy, and rich in umami. Its taste and aroma evolve over time, depending on the ingredients and fermentation length.
Freshly made baechu kimchi is crisp and slightly tart, making it a refreshing side dish. As it ferments, its flavors deepen and intensify, becoming bolder and more complex—perfect for hearty dishes like kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew).
Ingredients
In Korea, kimchi is often made fresh in the summer using seasonal vegetables. However, as autumn arrives and temperatures drop, families and communities come together for Kimjang—a special tradition where large batches of kimchi are prepared to last through the winter.
To deepen the flavor, they often create a rich fermentation “broth” using umami-packed ingredients like kombu, salted Korean shrimp (saeu-jeot), and dried fish.
Today, I’ll show you a simple, easy-to-follow recipe for a small batch that you can effortlessly make at home.
Key Ingredients:
- Napa Cabbage – The foundation of traditional Baechu Kimchi.
- Sea Salt (or Coarse Salt) – Draws out excess water from the cabbage, ensuring a crisp texture.
Kimchi Paste:
- Glutinous Rice Flour – Helps the paste adhere to the cabbage and speeds up fermentation. You can substitute it with regular rice flour, steamed rice, or sticky rice.
- Fish Sauce – Adds a deep umami flavor. For the best taste, I recommend high-quality Vietnamese fish sauce.
- Sugar – Supports the fermentation process.
- Korean Pear – Naturally sweetens and tenderizes the cabbage during fermentation. You can also use a regular pear, an apple, or even a kiwi as a substitute.
- Gochugaru (Korean Chili Flakes) – Gives kimchi its signature heat and vibrant red color.
- Aromatic Ingredients – Onion, garlic, and ginger provide a bold, fragrant aroma.
Additional Vegetables:
- Scallions (or Chives) – Adds a mild, fresh onion flavor to the kimchi.
- Korean Daikon (or regular daikon, red radish) – Provides extra crunch and a subtle sweetness.
- Carrot – Enhances the texture and adds a lovely color to the kimchi.
Instructions
Preparing the Napa Cabbage
- Cut the Napa cabbage into quarters. Tip: First, make a small cut at the base, then gently pull it apart with your hands to keep the leaves intact.
- Generously rub salt between all the leaves, paying extra attention to the thicker stems. Let the cabbage sit for about 8 hours, flipping it halfway through (after 4 hours). It’s ready when the leaves become soft and flexible without breaking.
- Rinse the cabbage thoroughly several times to remove excess salt. Tip: Taste a small piece to check the saltiness.
- Gently squeeze out excess water and let the cabbage drain in a sieve for about 30 minutes.
Preparing the Kimchi Paste
- Mix glutinous rice flour with water and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Alternatively, microwave it for 1.5 minutes, stirring once in between.
- Wash and peel the Korean pear, daikon, carrot, onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Cut the daikon and carrot into matchstick-sized pieces. Chop the spring onions into 4 cm (1.5-inch) pieces.
- Blend the pear, onion, garlic, ginger, cooked rice, and fish sauce with a little water until smooth.
- Combine the blended mixture with gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), daikon, and carrots to create a flavorful kimchi paste.
Mixing and Fermenting
- Cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces.
- Gently mix it with the kimchi paste, ensuring all the leaves are well coated.
- Transfer the kimchi into a glass jar and let it ferment at room temperature:
- In summer: 12–24 hours
- In winter: 1–2 days
- Store in the refrigerator after fermentation to extend its shelf life.
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The Easiest & Simplest Kimchi Recipe
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 Napa cabbages (3–4.5 lbs/1.5-2kg)
- ½ cup sea salt (130g)
- 3.5 oz daikon radish (~1 cup/100g) cut into matchsticks
- 3.5 oz carrot cut into matchsticks
- 4 scallions cut into 1.5-inch pieces
Rice Paste
- ½ cup water (120g)
- 2 tsp glutinous rice flour (or regular rice flour) (10g)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar (5g)
Kimchi Sauce
- 1.75 oz garlic, peeled (50g) about 3-4 cloves
- 1.75 oz onion, peeled (50g) about ¼ medium onion
- 1.75 oz Korean pear (or pear, apple, kiwi), (50g) about ⅓ pear, peeled and cored
- 1.75 oz fish sauce (50g/3.5 tbsp)
- 1.75 oz gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) (50g) to taste, up to ½ cup (2.8oz/80g)
- 0.35 oz ginger (10g) peeled
Instructions
Preparing the Napa Cabbage:
- Cut the Napa cabbage into four pieces. Tip: First, make a cut at the base and then gently pull apart the leaves with your hands to keep them intact.
- Generously sprinkle salt on all the leaves, especially on the thicker stem. Let the cabbage rest for 8 hours, flipping it after 4 hours. It’s ready when it becomes flexible and bends easily without breaking.
- Rinse the cabbage thoroughly with water to remove excess salt. Tip: Taste a small piece to check the saltiness.
- Gently squeeze out excess water and let the cabbage drain in a colander for about 30 minutes.
Preparing the Kimchi Paste:
- Mix glutinous rice flour with water and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Alternatively, you can heat it in the microwave for 1.5 minutes, stirring once.
- Blend the pear, onion, garlic, ginger, cooked rice, and fish sauce with a bit of water until smooth.
- Combine the paste with gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and the sliced daikon and carrot matchsticks to create a fragrant kimchi mixture.
Fermenting:
- Cut the cabbage into small, bite-sized pieces. Carefully mix it with the kimchi paste, ensuring each leaf is evenly coated.
- Pack the kimchi into a glass jar and let it ferment at room temperature:– Summer: 12–24 hours– Winter: 1–2 days
- After fermentation, store the kimchi in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.
