DYK: There Are Over 100 Ways to Prepare Kimchi?

On October 23, 2024, ALIEEP External Affairs Coordinator, Keith Park, gave a presentation on fermented Korean foods to students in AUM’s Food History and Culture class through the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. He taught the students the history of kimchi and its significance to Korean culture.

With hundreds of ways kimchi can be prepared, it has remained a staple in Korean cuisine for thousands of years. It was originally created to preserve vegetables during the winter season, a time when vegetables were difficult to grow and became scarce.

Kimchi is a traditional side dish made by fermenting vegetables with a variety of seasonings. The vegetables range from napa cabbage to Korean radish, cucumber to perilla leaf. Common seasons used in the fermentation process include garlic, ginger, gochugaru, and jeotgal, but the dish is no stranger to flavor.

View Keith’s presentation and learn more about Korean fermented foods and kimchi here.