Baechu Kimchi
Napa cabbage salted, coated in a garlicky, gochugaru-red paste and packed into a jar to ferment — the fiery, tangy staple that anchors nearly every Korean meal.
About this dish
Kimchi in some pickled form goes back well over a thousand years in Korea, but the fiery red version everyone recognises is much younger — chilli peppers only reached Korea after the 16th century, arriving via Portuguese traders through Japan. Making enough kimchi to last a whole winter is such a significant household event that it has its own name, kimjang, a communal tradition of families and neighbours making huge batches together each autumn, recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2013. What's in the jar changes constantly as it ferments, turning gradually more sour over weeks — a fresh kimchi and a month-old one are almost different dishes.
- Gluten-free
- Lactose-free
- Not vegetarian because of Fish sauce
Ingredients
- 2kgNapa cabbage
- 100gFine sea salt
- 2lWater
- 20gSweet rice flour
- 15gCaster sugar
- 80gGochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
- 8clovesGarlic cloves
- 20gFresh ginger
- 60mlFish sauce
- 300gKorean radish (mu)
- 80gSpring onions
Instructions
Cut the napa cabbage into quarters, rub salt between every leaf, and submerge in the salted water for 1–2 hours, turning once, until the thick white stems bend without snapping.
20 minTip: That bend test matters more than the clock — cabbage that's still too crisp will leach water into the paste later and dilute it; properly wilted cabbage holds the seasoning instead.
Cook the sweet rice flour with the water and sugar over low heat, stirring until it thickens into a thin porridge, then let it cool.
15 minTip: This porridge isn't there for flavour — it gives the chilli paste enough body to cling to every leaf instead of sliding off into the bottom of the jar.
Rinse the cabbage well and drain, then mix the cooled porridge with the gochugaru, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, julienned radish and chopped spring onion into a thick paste.
15 minTip: Rinsing away the excess salt is essential — skip it and the finished kimchi turns unpleasantly salty as it ferments and the flavours concentrate further.
Rub the paste between every leaf of the cabbage by hand, then pack tightly into a jar, pressing down so the cabbage sits under its own liquid. Leave at room temperature 1–2 days, then refrigerate.
0 minTip: Taste it daily once it's at room temperature — a day gets you fresh, mildly tangy kimchi; a week or two gets you the sharper, more sour kimchi best suited to cooking.