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Kimchi, the Most Famous Food in Korea Hyo Chol Kwak from Korea Photo: Hyo Chol Kwak We can't think of eating a meal without kimchi. It is an essential food for us. Photo: Hyo Chol Kwak Each province has a different kind. Also, there are different kinds for each season.   The most famous food in Korea is kimchi. We can't think of eating a meal without kimchi. It is an essential food for us. There are about 190 kinds of kimchi. Each province has a different kind. Some of the names used long ago for the original types of kimchi are chimchae, chinjangá, and chimjang. Also, there are different kinds for each season. For example, in spring watery kimchi which we call mool kimchi, and Chinese cabbage are popular. In summer, young radish kimchi which we call chong kak kimchi and cucumber kimchi are common. Whole cabbage kimchi called tong kimchi (I especially like this kind.) and radish kimchi called altari kimchi are common in autumn and winter. The original kimchi was just made of cabbage and salty water, but today it includes many kinds of ingredients such as red pepper powder, salt, sugar, pickled fish juice, seasonings, and seaweed. Kimchi is an Important Dish in Korea Changhoon Song from Korea Koreans eat kimchi every day. There is a popular Korean saying, "I can't eat ramen without kimchi. It means that even though snacks like ramen or cakes are eaten in Korea, they are always eaten with kimchi. That's how important this dish is for Koreans! Koreans usually eat kimchi all year long, especially in winter because the Korean winter is so cold and nothing is grown in winter. So preserved kimchi supplies the Korean people vitamins, fiber, and calcium all year long. View this YouTube video, All About Kimchi, to see how kimchi is the representative food of the Koran culture. Changhoon Song says, "There is a popular Korean saying, I can't eat ramen without kimchi. It means that even though snacks like ramen or cakes are eaten in Korea, they are always eaten with kimchi. That's how important this dish is for Koreans!" Yes, it is. Actually, kimchi is very spicy because there are red peppers in it. After people first taste it, they can't forget its tasted. It tastes delicious. The ingredients of kimchi are cabbage, red pepper powder, salt, pickled shrimp, Korean radishes, green onions, sesame oil, and oysters. First put the cabbage in salty water for 4 to 5 hours because salty water makes the kim-chi tender. After that, take the cabbage out and mix it with all kinds of seasonings which are prepared with the red pepper powder, pickles shrimps, Korean radishes, green onions, sesame oil, and the oysters. Then, eat it! But you must know that the taste of kimchi is determined by how you mix it. Cooking kimchi is easy, and the taste is fabulous. Return to: Global Tastes | A World of Food | Home Page TOPICS Online Magazine ©1997-2008 Sandy and Thomas Peters - topics.mag@gmail.com