We made Kimchi... and we're not Korean!
Let's face it, it's not always easy re-adjusting to life back in your home culture. I'll admit these past few months have been wonky for me. I slowly became a student again, I've cried on numerous occasions wanting to go back to Asia, I've wrestled with where I should be, I picked up a few different sports to keep busy, I've been part of this radical and whacky design project, I've come to love my classmates so much more, I've learned how to cook Chinese dishes, I've come to LOVE reading, I've started growing pineapples (trying - with 3 on the go), and I've learned about grief, forgiveness, and God's abundant grace.
I'm a bit all over the map. I've learned a ton these past few months, for which I am very thankful. I've also felt like this time has been one of preparation. For what? I'm not sure yet. But like most girls, I do hope to be a wife and mother one day. Therefore, I've been using this time to learn how to cook so I can provide in that way for my future family. And because I'm not sure where my future husband will come from, I might as well start learning how to cook from different cultures...right?! I started with Chinese. That went well - I enjoyed it. Got sick of it. Moved on... from the cooking that is.
Next: Korean.
My classmate and I decided we wanted to try to make kimchi, Korean's infamous fermented cabbage. Every Korean we talked to told us we were crazy and that it was a lot of work. So, crazy as we were, we gave it a shot anyway. We had to visit a few supermarkets in Waterloo and took every Napa cabbage they had. No one else in Waterloo was making kimchi that weekend - because we had all the cabbage!
After watching many videos, reading many recipes, we got to the chopping board. There was a LOT of chopping. My chopping finger is still numb - and it's been 4 days. We soaked and salted the cabbage, chopped all the rest of the vegetables...like those massive radishes, then rinsed the cabbage 3 times, then wrung out the cabbage, then massaged the paste we made onto the cabbage. Korean people are right - it is a lot of work to make kimchi. Thankfully we did 5 heads, which should last us a while.
Once we realized how much cabbage we had and when we were running out of bowls, bins, and pails to soak the cabbage, we wondered if we had crossed the 'stupid line'. Were we crazy-stupid for trying this? Or were we crazy-ambitious for trying this? Thankfully - 7 hours later, we were putting the kimchi into containers. Finally done! It was a good challenge and we felt accomplished afterwards.
We let the kimchi ferment for a couple of days and then had some Korean people taste-test it for us. And their reactions? Positive! They liked it, some even loved it. Of course, we can't compete with a Korean mom, but regardless, Koreans liked our kimchi!
Next time? Yes, there will definitely be a next time. Once we eat up this batch, we'll be ready to make some more kimchi. Next time, we'll definitely be using the pink gloves that all the Korean moms wear. We might even try the kimchi-squat. Oh, and we'll also learn a couple Korean phrases to say while making it.
An obsession? The verdict is still out on that one! I do love Korean food...a LOT. As much as I love China, Korean food is still my #1.
Looking forward to sharing more adventures soon!
I'm a bit all over the map. I've learned a ton these past few months, for which I am very thankful. I've also felt like this time has been one of preparation. For what? I'm not sure yet. But like most girls, I do hope to be a wife and mother one day. Therefore, I've been using this time to learn how to cook so I can provide in that way for my future family. And because I'm not sure where my future husband will come from, I might as well start learning how to cook from different cultures...right?! I started with Chinese. That went well - I enjoyed it. Got sick of it. Moved on... from the cooking that is.
Next: Korean.
My classmate and I decided we wanted to try to make kimchi, Korean's infamous fermented cabbage. Every Korean we talked to told us we were crazy and that it was a lot of work. So, crazy as we were, we gave it a shot anyway. We had to visit a few supermarkets in Waterloo and took every Napa cabbage they had. No one else in Waterloo was making kimchi that weekend - because we had all the cabbage!
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| The ingredients (5 heads of cabbage) |
After watching many videos, reading many recipes, we got to the chopping board. There was a LOT of chopping. My chopping finger is still numb - and it's been 4 days. We soaked and salted the cabbage, chopped all the rest of the vegetables...like those massive radishes, then rinsed the cabbage 3 times, then wrung out the cabbage, then massaged the paste we made onto the cabbage. Korean people are right - it is a lot of work to make kimchi. Thankfully we did 5 heads, which should last us a while.
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| The chopped stuff. |
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| Final step: mixing the paste and cabbage |
Next time? Yes, there will definitely be a next time. Once we eat up this batch, we'll be ready to make some more kimchi. Next time, we'll definitely be using the pink gloves that all the Korean moms wear. We might even try the kimchi-squat. Oh, and we'll also learn a couple Korean phrases to say while making it.
An obsession? The verdict is still out on that one! I do love Korean food...a LOT. As much as I love China, Korean food is still my #1.
Looking forward to sharing more adventures soon!
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