Kimchi Tutorial Part 2

                Dinner over, we left Sister Song to clean up the kitchen and we moved the second table next to the other table and went to work on Part 2 of the kimchi preparation.

                Sister Park decided that the cabbages and radishes were ready to be washed and she did that repeatedly. We tasted the cabbage after each rinse to test for its saltiness. Sister Kong assured me that the taste of the salt level was very important and needed to be precise.

                In the meantime, Sister Song and I started cutting the long grass that smells like chives into five centimeter strips. Then we cut the green onion into similar size pieces and yellow onions.

Sister Park made a base of rice flour and water that she cooked to the desired consistency, about that of a meat gravy we eat in the US.  Into the flour gravy went the grass strips, a generous dipper of garlic and sliced yellow onion. Sister Park grated the remainder of the white radish and then had Wayne grate a carrot to add to this base for the kimchi.

                Next came the “magic” ingredients. Sister Park added four overflowing cups of the ground red pepper…

…and Wayne and I began to stir with our gloved hands. Sister Kong corrected our stirring technique indicating that it needed to be done gently like you would handle a baby. We repented and began to mix the kimchi base more delicately.

                Again taste was very important. Tiny shrimp in a brine sauce were added, about half to three-fourths of a cup. There seemed to be a difference of opinion on the amount of small shrimp that was needed because Sister Song added about two tablespoons more after Sister Park called it good. They also added anchovy oil, about the same amount but in more than one application after a taste test. The last magic ingredient was some sort of fruit preserve that looked a little like small plums with seeds removed made into a jam. This was to add sweetness although I have no idea how sweet this was. About one-fourth to one-half cup was added, again in more than one time after a taste test. Each time they did a taste test, we were given some to taste so we can know just how the ingredients are blended together. I’m not sure my tongue will remember the lessons.

                The final step was to add some of this “red sauce” to each of our base vegetables, cabbage, radish, green onion, and sesame leaves. The cabbage we were told to mix more vigorously than the red sauce.

                As each type of kimchi was finished it was divided into five containers: one for us, Sister Park, Sister, Kong, Sister Song, and the sister missionaries. Included in our stack of kimchi was a mixture of tiny fish that were mixed with oil, walnuts, and sesame seeds. We are now armed with five different side dishes for our meals.

                We are so thankful to these Korean women, sisters, who took so much time and expense to share a very important part of their culture with us.