Recipe for Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi

This fermented vegetable dish is a Korean staple made with napa cabbage, radish, and chili paste.

Ingredients

Cabbage

• 1 kilogram napa cabbage
• 100 grams sea salt
• 1 Liter water

Paste

• 50 grams rice flour
• 200 milliliters water
• 50 grams sugar
• 100 grams chili flakes

Aromatics

• 50 grams garlic
• 30 grams ginger
• 50 milliliters fish sauce
• 200 grams radish

Preparation

Salting

1. Cut the cabbage into squares and soak in salted water for two hours
2. Rinse the cabbage three times in cold water to remove the excess salt
3. Squeeze the cabbage to remove as much water as possible before adding paste

Paste

1. Boil rice flour and water until thick then stir in sugar and chili flakes
2. Add minced garlic, grated ginger, fish sauce, and shredded radish to the paste
3. Mix until a thick red sauce forms that coats the cabbage evenly

Fermenting

1. Rub the paste into every cabbage leaf until the entire batch is red
2. Pack the mixture into clean glass jars and press down to remove air
3. Let sit at room temperature for two days before moving to the refrigerator

Tips

• Use Korean red chili flakes specifically to get the correct color and heat level
• Pressing the cabbage down in the jar ensures it stays submerged in its juices
• Check the jars daily to release gas buildup during the initial fermentation phase