Mom’s Kimchi Recipe Everyone is Asking for

napa cabbage

🥗Healthier: savoy cabbage

💰Cheaper: green cabbage

Savoy cabbage is more nutritious, while green cabbage is often less expensive.

fish sauce

💰Cheaper: soy sauce

Soy sauce is a budget-friendly alternative for a vegetarian option.

Make an incision at the base of the napa cabbage and break it with your hands.

Break the cabbage into quarters.

Mix water with sea salt until completely dissolved.

Wet the whole cabbage, especially the white inner parts.

Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of Korean coarse sea salt on the thicker white parts for each layer of cabbage.

Pour any leftover salt solution around the edges of the bowl.

Let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours, switching the top pieces with the bottom ones halfway through.

Prepare 1.5 cups of sweet rice flour with some old water and bring it to a boil.

Stir while adding the flour to the boiling water.

Let it cool until it's lukewarm before adding Korean red pepper flakes to let them mature.

If using Korean pear, chop it; if not, use Bosc pear instead.

Use Korean fish sauce, ensuring it is stored in the refrigerator before opening and frozen after opening.

Chop the fish sauce before adding it to the mixture for better flavor distribution.

Taste the saltiness and adjust if necessary, washing the cabbage if it's too salty.

Mix the green ingredients with the paste, ensuring even coating on the cabbage leaves.

Pack the mixture tightly into a container, ensuring the leaves are well coated and covered.

Let it ferment at room temperature for 2-3 days before transferring it to the refrigerator.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens