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1
Salt the cabbage
2 hours
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Quarter the cabbage (900 g) lengthwise through the core and sprinkle the coarse sea salt (60 g) between the leaves, working it into the thick white ribs. Set the quarters in a large bowl, cover, and leave for 2 hours, turning once halfway, until the leaves are wilted and bend without snapping.
The leaves are ready when a thick rib bends like a soft noodle instead of cracking.
Done when: Leaves limp and flexible, ribs bend without snapping.
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2
Make the rice porridge
5 minutes
Medium heat 90°C (194°F)
Whisk the glutinous rice flour (50 g) into the water (250 ml) in a small pot, then cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns into a thick, glossy porridge. Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature — hot porridge would cook the garlic and dull the flavour.
Keep stirring to the end; the porridge thickens suddenly and catches on the bottom if you stop.
Done when: Thick, smooth and glossy, like a thin custard.
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3
Mix the seasoning paste
10 minutes
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Stir the cooled porridge with the gochugaru (30 g), fish sauce (45 ml), sugar (15 g), minced garlic (24 g) and grated ginger (10 g) until it is a smooth, deep-red paste. Fold in the julienned radish (150 g) and scallions (50 g) so every strand is coated.
Wear gloves from here on — gochugaru stains hands and stings small cuts.
Done when: Even deep-red paste, vegetables coated, no dry flakes left.
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4
Rinse and drain the cabbage
10 minutes
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Rinse each salted quarter 2 to 3 times under cold running water to wash off the excess salt, then squeeze gently and let the quarters drain cut-side down for 10 minutes. Taste a rib: it should be pleasantly salty, not fiercely so.
Do not skip the rinse — unrinsed cabbage makes kimchi too salty to eat.
Done when: Leaves clean, pleasantly salty, drained but still damp.
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5
Pack the paste between the leaves
15 minutes
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Working with one quarter at a time, spread a spoonful of paste between the leaves from the outside in, coating each leaf evenly but not overloading it. Fold each quarter in half, roll it loosely, and pack it snugly into a clean 2-litre glass jar or kimchi container, pressing down so no air pockets remain.
Pack tightly but leave 3 cm of headroom — the kimchi bubbles and rises as it ferments.
Done when: Every leaf coated red, quarters packed tight, no air pockets.
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6
Ferment, then refrigerate
1–2 days
Room temperature 20°C (68°F), then fridge 4°C (40°F)
Close the lid loosely and leave the jar at room temperature for 1 to 2 days until you see small bubbles and the paste smells pleasantly sour. Tighten the lid and move the jar to the fridge, where the kimchi keeps for 3 to 4 weeks and keeps getting tangier.
In a warm kitchen 1 day is enough; taste on day 1 and refrigerate when the sourness suits you.
Done when: Bubbles in the jar, sour tangy smell, leaves still crisp.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the kimchi cold from the fridge in a small bowl, cut into bite-size pieces if you like — it is at its best after a week, when the sourness has deepened but the leaves are still crisp.
South Korea
1h 5m
