Kimchi - Fermented Vegetables

Kimchi - Fermented Vegetables

The Kitchen Lab hosted a workshop exploring the art of fermentation by revisiting the process of preparing Kimchi, an ancient staple dish of Korean Cuisine. Mostly known in its cabbage form, Kimchi is the name for a variety of salted and fermented vegetables. In this workshop, we delved into the process of vegetable fermentation, and of course, all participants get the opportunity to make their own delicious batch to take home.

The science behind fermenting Kimchi reveals that during the process, wet cabbage is coated with salt to create osmosis and soften the cabbage. The environmental conditions that facilitate the fermentation process include Lactic Acid bacteria and Low Oxygen conditions. The Lactic Acid bacteria breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars, which in process also lowers the pH, creating a sour taste. Once the Kimchi is prepared it should sit under room temperature for 3 days for fermentation. The dish is commonly served with rice.

The workshop was led by food enthusiasts, Guillermo Bustelo and Max de Thorus. We followed a recipe inspired by Seonkyoung Longest