Kimchi Day: Find out what the dish is and see the recipe – 11/22/2023 – Food

The most important symbol of South Korean gastronomy, kimchi has its own date on the São Paulo calendar. This Wednesday, November 22nd, Kimchi Day is celebrated, established by law nº 443/22, last year.

The typical spicy preserve is gaining popularity among Brazilians, with the popularization of Korean culture and cuisine, and has also appeared on the menu of non-Asian restaurants and bars in São Paulo.

“This has to do with Korean culture expanding, both music and films and soap operas, but also because there is more information about the importance of fermented foods,” says Priscila Jung, a cook who prepares kimchi and other typical recipes from Korean’s homeland. your parents. “Now people are opening their minds more to eating kimchi.”

The delicacy is present in every meal in the Asian country, from breakfast to dinner, and each family has its own recipe. Chard is the most traditional, but it is possible to prepare it with turnips, radishes or cabbage — there are around 200 types, not all of them spicy.

In 2013, the tradition of its preparation was declared intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO. To begin, the chard is washed and dried. Then its leaves are rubbed with a marinade that includes ingredients such as salt, sugar, garlic and pepper. Finally, it is placed in the refrigerator to ferment for days or even months. The result is a preserve with a strong, peppery smell.

Preparing the Korean dish is not easy. But Jung teaches a recipe with chard that can be reproduced at home. Ingredients such as Korean pepper and glutinous rice flour can be found in specialized oriental markets, in neighborhoods like Bom Retiro and Liberdade. The process takes a few hours and the fermented product lasts for around three months in the refrigerator. Find out below.

Kimchi

Ingredients

Chard

• ½ large chard
• 2 and ½ tablespoons of refined salt

Seasoning

• ½ large turnip
• 1 ripe apple
• ½ bunch of chives
• 1 and ½ tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon refined salt
• 3 tablespoons or 37.5 g of gochugaru (Korean pepper)

Rice porridge

• ¼ cup of water
• 1 and ½ tablespoons of glutinous rice flour

Liquid mixture

• 1 ripe pear
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 small piece of ginger
• ½ large onion
• ½ large red pepper
• 30 ml dashi broth or water
• 1 and ½ tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
• Rice porridge
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation

Chard

• Cut half of the chard in half, dividing it by the core, and then cut along the height every two or three centimeters, into pieces that are easy to eat when ready.
• Place the chard in a container that has enough space to handle it. Mix 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of salt. When the salt is dissolved, pour this brine into the chard. Stir and add another 1 and ½ tablespoons of salt. Stir and set aside
• After about 45 minutes, stir the chard, inverting the position of the vegetable so that all the leaves can salt evenly. 1h30 to 2h30 later, see if the process is complete. To do this, take part of the stalk and try to bend it against the growth of the fiber. If it bends and doesn’t break, it’s ready to be washed.
• Discard all the water from the container and fill with running water, always stirring and discarding the water. Repeat three times. Try the chard. It should be salty to the taste but not so much that it is impossible to eat. If this happens, leave it to soak for a while. After washing, let it drain for at least 15 minutes

Seasoning

• All ingredients used below must be washed. Peel the turnip and cut into squares the size of chard or julienne of approximately 4mm. In a container, add 1 and ½ tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt and stir. The vegetable will release liquid during the process
• To make starch porridge, use a small saucepan. With the heat off, mix ½ cup of water with the glutinous rice flour or wheat flour. With the heat low, and always mixing to avoid lumps, cook until it reaches a point similar to brigadeiro. Set aside, preferably covered, to cool without forming a crust.
• Peel the garlic, ginger and onion. If you use pears, there is no need to peel them. If you use apples, it is recommended to peel them. Remove the core and seeds from the fruits to avoid making the kimchi bitter. Also remove the seeds and membranes from the pepper.
• Blend everything in a blender or mixer with the broth or water — to do this, cut the ingredients to make the work easier. If necessary, add the turnip liquid or more water
• Combine the turnip, chives, porridge, blended vegetables and gochuragu (Korean pepper). Taste and add salt to taste. Reserve outside the refrigerator, but covering the container until the chard is salty.

Finishing and storage

• With the seasoning ready and the chard already salted, washed and without excess water, take a white part of the vegetable, dip it in the seasoning and taste for salt. It should be a little saltier at this point, as during the fermentation process the kimchi will produce liquids that will dilute the seasoning. Adjust the salt if necessary
• The suggestion is to use gloves to mix the chard and seasoning. Once everything is mixed, make sure the salt is correct and place in the container or food bags.
• To start the fermentation process, leave it out of the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. The time varies according to the ambient temperature of the kitchen, the preference of more or less acidity and the time you intend to consume the kimchi.
• Time outside the refrigerator speeds up the initial fermentation process. If you want to make a larger portion and consume it over a longer period of time, put some in the refrigerator right after making the kimchi. For slower fermentation, you can reduce the amount of starch porridge. The preserve should last at least three months if placed in a cold area of ​​the refrigerator at a stable temperature.