Kimchi on my shoulder(in my belly) makes me happy!

I’m seriously late to the party on this one, but I have just jumped whole hog onto the kimchi bandwagon. I seriously wonder where I would be if I had discovered this stuff sooner? Kimchi is spicy, fermented Napa cabbage that is a staple in Korea and one of the most unique flavors I have ever come across. It’s kind of like a super spicy cole slaw, without all the mayo type crap. In reality, cole slaw is a lame comparison, more closely related to Chow Chow, but less pickle-like. Not growing up around many Koreans, I hadn’t really heard much about it until recent years. I think I first read an article about it in a food magazine stating all of the healthful benefit that have been associated with kimchi and the typically long lifespan of Koreans. I wanted to try some, but couldn’t easily find any.

I started doing a little research and found that I could buy it on the web or in an Asian market, neither sounded like something I wanted to do. I’ve been somewhat skeptical about Asian markets until recently because everything there seems to have been there for a very long time, not to mention everything is packaged with writing I cannot read. I’ve since come around.

I don’t really remember the first time I tasted kimchi, but I do remember the first time I bought a jar of it. It was at Whole Foods (don’t judge, it felt like a good idea. And by judging I mean purchased in a non-traditional place.) and it was just whatever jar they had on the shelf. When I got home I cracked open the jar and tasted a forkful. Tasting it in its pure essence, I had no idea of what to expect. It was spicy, pungent, cold, and delicious in a total umami-type of way. I liked it, but was it good Kimchi?

I have a friend named Karen in Nashville who is Korean and apparently makes incredible kimchi, according to other mutual friends, but I have never tried hers. Through further research, it seems that there are many kimchi recipes, many of which are family heirlooms not to be given to non-family members; totally top secret type stuff. Mention kimchi to a Korean and they will tell you their way is the only way.

I asked Kelly to try a bit, she liked it ok, but said it didn’t compare to her friend Theresa’s Korean mother’s recipe. Kind of what I expected. Not having a quintessential base on which to compare, I started on my own kimchi journey.

I started tasting it wherever I could, and buying various different brands when I would seek them out. One morning at the Farmer’s Market in Charleston, I stopped to eat at one of the food stands that I had heard about called Roti Rolls. They have a sandwich/wrap/taco/roti called the “Eye Opener” that was braised short ribs with a fried egg, arugula, and kimchi. I gave it a shot. The flavor was amazing! Everything was in balance, spicy, messy as Hell, but most of all delicious. In fact, I don’t recall ordering anything else from them, and I eat there every Saturday I go to the Farmer’s Market. Lucky for me, these fine folks at Roti Rolls sell their concoction by the jarful. A jar lasts me about 3-4 weeks depending on how much I’m in need.

Since there is no Farmer’s Market this time of year, my stash is running low. I have “friended” them on Facebook to track their whereabouts so I can get procure myself another jar, but my timing has been a bit off in getting up with them since they no longer have a brick and mortar place (rumor is that will be changing soon!) and their food truck always seems to be where I am not. This to me is excellent kimchi worth seeking out. I need to do a better job.

Penn is wearing a sad face.

I haven’t yet tried to make my own, but plan to shortly. I got a new cookbook/autobiography of Roy Choi, the food truck King of LA, and he is known the world over for his love of kimchi. He included a not so secret recipe that I will probably work on this coming weekend. It takes about a month to fully ferment so I gotta find a fix between now and then. Wish me luck!

Ciao down,

Penn