김장 (Kimjang)!!

Kimchi!!

If you were to ask someone to choose only a few words that describe Korean culture, you would undoubtedly hear kimchi 99% of the time.  This healthy food is a staple in this country and has been eaten for thousands of years.  You can hardly eat in any restaurant without having it as a side dish.

Making kimchi (김치) is no walk in the park.  Families typically set aside 2-4 days in autumn for a kimchi making party, known as kimjang (김장), to prepare enough kimchi to last them through the winter and probably through the next year.

Since we've been in Seoul we have been interested in making kimchi and the process involved.  This year, we were blessed enough to be invited to kimjang and be part of the process.  Christina (friend and former co-worker) and Daniel invited us to join their family's kimjang at Christina's sister's home an hour outside of the city.

We were told that Halmeoni doesn't wear gloves
because she says her hands are good for the kimchi :)

The grandmother, or halmeoni 할머니 (aka the toughest woman we've ever met), was absolutely running the show.  In the days before we arrived they had collected all the Napa cabbage to be used and Halmeoni made the sok (the sauce typically made of chili peppers, salt, garlic, and fermented brined anchovy or shrimp).  As soon as we walked in we were to follow Halmeoni's orders and tear the cabbage into quarters or sixths and insert the sok between the leaves.  She was so patient to teach us foreigners the correct application process.  However, we were definitely informed when we used too little or too much sok, as it was not subtly pointed out to us, rather strongly commanded, all in Korean - it was awesome.

Sauce is kept in these kimchi pots

Gotta have GARLIC!

Halmeoni being AMAZING

The process took a little more than three hours, and in true Korean style we did it all on the floor.  We could not believe the strength this woman had to sit on the floor for 3+ hours in the same position  She didn't even adjust!  It was incredible.  The five of us who were helping took some breaks and ended early, not Halmeoni.  She started before us and worked for about 30 minutes after us.  She then popped up easily to go outside (without a coat in 32 degrees!) and bury the kimchi deep in the ground for storage and fermentation throughout the winter.  Not all of it would fit in the terra cotta kimchi pots in the ground so the rest was stored in the two specifically designated kimchi refrigerators in the house (pee-yoo!  kimchi smells bad and can really stink up your regular fridge).

Completed Kimchi

난히 Nanhee (Christina) and her sister

After all the jobs were completed, we enjoyed a delicious meal of fresh kimchi, boiled pork belly, and makgeolli.  

It was quite the feast, lasting nearly four hours.  We are so blessed to have been part of such a unique, cultural experience.  Joining such welcoming and amazing people was truly a gift.  The kimjang will forever go down as one our favorite experiences in Korea.

건배! Gun Bae!