Korean White Kimchi Recipe

Last Updated on January 15, 2017 by Ed Joven

How to make Korean White Kimchi

Korean White Kimchi Recipe – Kimchi, also spelled gimchi or kimchee, is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of some select vegetables with varied seasonings, most commonly referring to the spicy baechu variety. Kimchi is the most common Korean banchan, or side dish, eaten with rice along with other banchan dishes.

Kimchi is also a common ingredient and cooked with other ingredients to make dishes such as kimchi stew (kimchi jjigae) and kimchi fried rice (kimchi bokkeumbap). Kimchi often tastes better with age.

Korean White Kimchi, this type of kimchi is not as common as the spicy variety and is a delicacy of Korea’s fiercely independent northern provinces. Fresh pear gives this variety of kimchi a tart, mild flavor that has little in common with the tear-inducing red chili kimchi found throughout the rest of the country.

• 1 large Chinese cabbage (about 1 ½ kg/3 ½ lbs)
• 250 g (1 cup) sea salt or coarse salt
• 3 liters (12 cups) water

Stuffing

• 1 daikon radish (about 500 g/1 lb), peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 2 fresh porcini or other mushrooms, stems trimmed and caps sliced into strips
• 1 Chinese or Japanese pear, peeled and cut into strips
• 1 spring onion, minced
• 3 – 4 red finger-length chilies, deseeded and cut into thin strips
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 100 g (½ cup) sugar
• 250 ml (1 cup) water

• Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and halve it lengthwise.
• Rub a handful of the salt between all the leaves. Set aside.
• Combine the water and remaining salt in a large pot and stir until the salt is dissolved.
• Soak the cabbage in the salt water for about 3-6 hours.
• Drain and briefly rinse the cabbage with water, allowing it to retain some of the salt water.
• To prepare the Stuffing, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Using your fingers, separate the leaves of the cabbage halves and spread some Stuffing between each, ensuring all the leaves are well coated on both sides.
• Place the stuffed cabbage halves in an airtight container and allow them to sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours, then store in the refrigerator overnight before serving.