KIm Chee

[Blarg]

Maybe this can be like the tea connoisseur thread, but for Kim Chee.

It's fermented cabbage, with lots of garlic, the national dish of Korea. Many people not from Korea find it disgusting, and everyone finds it smelly even if they like it. This stuff can come out in your sweat and make you stink for days. The taste and smell can take getting used to.

My local grocery store got bought out and changed over to a Mexican grocery, and so almost anything but the most plain, bare bones food is gone. Other ethnic stuff, like Kim Chee, vanished, and every once in a while I get a craving that it becomes kind of a hassle to fulfill.

Does anyone know of a place you could mail order Kim Chee from, that they would personally recommend? I'm in the mood to stink up the place a little lately, and have been without my Kim Chee fix for too long.

[sfer]

Where do you live?

[swede123]

I opened this hoping for pictures of some hot newcomer in the porn/modelling industry. I was disappointed.

Swede

[astroglide]

is it always served cold? i tried some at a restaurant and i thought it was pretty boring. spicy cold cabbage.

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
is it always served cold? i tried some at a restaurant and i thought it was pretty boring. spicy cold cabbage.

[/ QUOTE ]

A standard is a stew made with pieces of pork, water and kim chee. It also varies in quality from place to place, and, to be honest, jar to jar. Mom used to make tubs of it every fall.

[schwza]

[ QUOTE ]
is it always served cold? i tried some at a restaurant and i thought it was pretty boring. spicy cold cabbage.

[/ QUOTE ]

it's soooooooooooooooooooo bad. boring is way too high a compliment.

[astroglide]

[ QUOTE ]
is it always served cold?

[/ QUOTE ]

[xadrez]

Sorry to hear you cant get your fix.

I love kim chee. There is a decent place across the street from my office where I can satisfy the urge when I get it.

I found this on google (http://www.koamart.com/shop/14-Kimchi.asp)

[xadrez]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
is it always served cold?

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

Ive had good stir fried kim chee, with pork and tofu and some vegetables or rice cakes. It was good. Then again, I love it cold, hot, in stew, whatever. Also, the spicier the better.

[Popinjay]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
is it always served cold?

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

It's served often cold but is found in a large variety of things. There's water kimchi, radish kimchi, spicy tofu kimchi soup (kimchi chigae), cucumber kimchi, radish kimchi... etc. etc. It also varies a LOT in terms of how it tastes based on how skillful the chef is. If you go to a really good Korean restaurant (well reviewed in the area) you'll probably think it's good stuff. But who knows some people just don't like it.

It's hard to find good kimchi at stores IMO. Especially Costco, never buy kimchi from there. It's horrible. My recommendation is to find a traditional Korean grandmother. Most of them in my experience are very good at making kimchi, and they often do it in very large amounts.

[woodguy]

I get mine from a local farmer's market that happens every weekend.

Anything that that around you?

Regards,
Woodguy

I'm confused. I've only had it in tiny amounts as a side with a lot of white rice. I thought it was a kind of pickled condiment. It's really hot right?

[Blarg]

In Los Angeles.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
is it always served cold? i tried some at a restaurant and i thought it was pretty boring. spicy cold cabbage.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's served either cold or room temperature.

There are many different kinds of kim chee, differing in hotness, amount of garlic, etc. Kim Chee is usually basically cabbage, but it can also be pickled radishes or other vegetables. The main thing is they're fermented with plenty of garlic, salt, and usually but not always some chilis for bite.

If you had a dull one, that's what I'm wanting to avoid, so I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations. There are better and worse Kim Chee's.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
is it always served cold? i tried some at a restaurant and i thought it was pretty boring. spicy cold cabbage.

[/ QUOTE ]

it's soooooooooooooooooooo bad. boring is way too high a compliment.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not many people find garlic and/or chili's all that boring. Quite the opposite. They're intense flavors.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry to hear you cant get your fix.

I love kim chee. There is a decent place across the street from my office where I can satisfy the urge when I get it.

I found this on google (http://www.koamart.com/shop/14-Kimchi.asp)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I saw that place and might try them.

[sfer]

Any particular reason you don't just drive to K-town?

[Blarg]

There are other supermarkets around me, but they take more driving and they stock it haphazardly. It can become like an afternoon trying to find a damn jar of the stuff. I've never seen any kimchi in the farmers markets I've been to.

[Blarg]

I'm bumping into some recipes on the net, but they say let it sit for 2 days or so. I thought you were supposed to let it sit for a lot longer than that. Does anyone know if just a couple days is enough?

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]
I've never seen any kimchi in the farmers markets I've been

[/ QUOTE ]

That sucks.

The two farmer's market's that I go to each have 2-3 Korean Food booths.

The stuff I buy stinks up the whole house the second I open the jar.

Life is good.

Regards,
Woodguy

[Blarg]

I live in the Valley, and it would easily take three hours between street traffic and freeway traffic just to get to the northern part of it. Plus, Koreatown in L.A. has surprisingly few Koreans in it. It's mostly Latinos now, even some Filipinos. But the Korean businesses are sparse, and I can't remember a Korean grocery there.

[Blarg]

Heh. That's the kind I like -- the stuff you eat only on Fridays or Saturdays so you have the weekend to sweat it out.

[shant]

[ QUOTE ]
I live in the Valley, and it would easily take three hours between street traffic and freeway traffic just to get to the northern part of it. Plus, Koreatown in L.A. has surprisingly few Koreans in it. It's mostly Latinos now, even some Filipinos. But the Korean businesses are sparse, and I can't remember a Korean grocery there.

[/ QUOTE ]
Are you sure you were in Koreatown?

Also, Kim Chee is rad. I also like Kim Bap(sp?).

[ThaSaltCracka]

I work with a bunch of Koreans that have it with every meal. I don't think it really smells that bad. Also, I have been told there are over 100 different types of Kim Chee.

[Blarg]

I lived in Koreatown for like 8 years.

[SCfuji]

i like it fresh. i hate it when its been fermented for a long time, too sour.

[M2d]

in hawaii we make kim chee hamburgers, kim chee fried rice and all sorts of other cooked dishes. the hamburgers rock. also mix in some crumbled up potato chips and you have the best home made burger.

[shant]

[ QUOTE ]
I lived in Koreatown for like 8 years.

[/ QUOTE ]
OK, I know there are a lot of latin people there now, but I go everyonce in a while for K-BBQ and I see lots of Korean businesses.

Anyway, where in the valley do you live? In Glendale, off the 134 freeway at the Pacific exit, if you get out and head north, there is a Hangook Market on the left hand side. It's big, they'll have everything you need.

[astroglide]

when i said boring, i meant that it tasted like cabbage with hot sauce. there wasn't any kind of embedding of flavors.

[[censored]]

I hate Kim Chee. I've never had it though.

What I did have was a year in Korea where every meal the dog gone cooks would out the dog gone Kim Chee next to the jello. And every time the Kim Chee spill over would wind up in the Jello. So no jello for me for a year, not red w/ bananas, orange with pineapple, nothing. Screw Kim Chee /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
I opened this hoping for pictures of some hot newcomer in the porn/modelling industry. I was disappointed.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the first pic I thought of

http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/pictures/k/kamala/09.jpg

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
There's water kimchi, radish kimchi, spicy tofu kimchi soup (kimchi chigae), cucumber kimchi, radish kimchi...

[/ QUOTE ]

You're like the Korean Bubba.

~D

[J.A.Sucker]

If you can't find kimchee in any part of LA, I think you have problems. I don't live in LA, but I bet I could find a decent Korean market within 25 minutes of your house.

Still, just hit K-town someday and keep the kimchee for awhile. Get the garlic stem and the mu kimchees. Yummm.

[J.A.Sucker]

When's your next BBQ? I'm there.

[Benal]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I opened this hoping for pictures of some hot newcomer in the porn/modelling industry. I was disappointed.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the first pic I thought of

http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/pictures/k/kamala/09.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, same here.

[Cancer Merchant]

Such a wonderful food, kind of like a hot, garlicky sauerkraut. Good for breakfast, too, though most things are good for breakfast when it's the winner of Fridge Survivor.

Yeah, in LA there should be a decent Korean or other Asian market that should carry it nearby. If not, make some, and no, you don't have to bury it in the backyard.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
I opened this hoping for pictures of some hot newcomer in the porn/modelling industry. I was disappointed.


[/ QUOTE ]

Here are a couple pictures from the first page of results from a GIS for kim chee:

http://www.wmpg.org/archivefiles/PAIP/PAIP22/paip22.jpg
http://madaboutmadtv.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bobby_kimchee.jpg

[john smith]

[ QUOTE ]
I live in the Valley, and it would easily take three hours between street traffic and freeway traffic just to get to the northern part of it. Plus, Koreatown in L.A. has surprisingly few Koreans in it. It's mostly Latinos now, even some Filipinos. But the Korean businesses are sparse, and I can't remember a Korean grocery there.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a Korean market on the corner of Sherman Way and White Oak.

[B Dids]

You probably had shitty kim chee.

It's wonderful stuff.

[StevieG]

Love kimchee. I feel for Blarg.

[ QUOTE ]
is it always served cold?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, Astroglide, it can be used as an ingredient in other dishes, like kimchee chigae (soup dish). Mmmm....chigae.

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]

Still, just hit K-town someday and keep the kimchee for awhile. Get the garlic stem and the mu kimchees. Yummm.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mu kimchee is best when the vines are still attached. Double yum.

[sfer]

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when i said boring, i meant that it tasted like cabbage with hot sauce. there wasn't any kind of embedding of flavors.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then you had it like immediately after it was pickled. Usually you eat it after it ferments.

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm bumping into some recipes on the net, but they say let it sit for 2 days or so. I thought you were supposed to let it sit for a lot longer than that. Does anyone know if just a couple days is enough?

[/ QUOTE ]

2 days and it tastes overwhelmingly cabbage-y and predominantly salty. The longer it sits the tangier it gets. When my mom would make it in the fall it would last the rest of the year. When I said she made tubs of it, I mean tubs.

[handsome]

I'm korean and I love kimchi.

[masse75]

Anyone else find it ironic that TSC has an avatar of Kim Jong Il and he's talking about kimchee?
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/4734/kimchee3yp.png

[Blarg]

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I lived in Koreatown for like 8 years.

[/ QUOTE ]
OK, I know there are a lot of latin people there now, but I go everyonce in a while for K-BBQ and I see lots of Korean businesses.

Anyway, where in the valley do you live? In Glendale, off the 134 freeway at the Pacific exit, if you get out and head north, there is a Hangook Market on the left hand side. It's big, they'll have everything you need.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the tip.

The Korean businesses I saw in Koreatown, that were even Korean at all, were computer shops, pool halls, anything but groceries. They did build a shopping center there, but I can't remember if food was sold there outside of a restaurant. I'm sure there must be a grocery somewhere, but I never saw it.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
If you can't find kimchee in any part of LA, I think you have problems. I don't live in LA, but I bet I could find a decent Korean market within 25 minutes of your house.

Still, just hit K-town someday and keep the kimchee for awhile. Get the garlic stem and the mu kimchees. Yummm.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you have a reading problem. I never said I couldn't find Kimchi in any part of L.A., nor that I wanted to go to every or any part of L.A. to find it. What I said was that it is not in my local market and the outlying ones stock it very sporadically, making trying to find it a time consuming affair with no guaranteed pay-off. I also said I didn't want to take a three hour drive to Koreatown and back. The traffic from the freeway to Koreatown is regularly fiercely crowded.

If anyone has ever wanted to know, or even been capable of knowing, every store within 25 minutes of where they live, I doubt it. Not in a crowded city. And I doubt you would either. And frankly, looking for Korean food in a Latino neighborhood is fairly retarded.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I live in the Valley, and it would easily take three hours between street traffic and freeway traffic just to get to the northern part of it. Plus, Koreatown in L.A. has surprisingly few Koreans in it. It's mostly Latinos now, even some Filipinos. But the Korean businesses are sparse, and I can't remember a Korean grocery there.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a Korean market on the corner of Sherman Way and White Oak.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks!

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm bumping into some recipes on the net, but they say let it sit for 2 days or so. I thought you were supposed to let it sit for a lot longer than that. Does anyone know if just a couple days is enough?

[/ QUOTE ]

2 days and it tastes overwhelmingly cabbage-y and predominantly salty. The longer it sits the tangier it gets. When my mom would make it in the fall it would last the rest of the year. When I said she made tubs of it, I mean tubs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks.

Maybe I should try making it. If she could make tubs, obviously she didn't have to store it all in the fridge, so maybe I could keep the extras somewhere out of the way without devoting an huge portion of fridge space just to kimchi. The ingredients are super cheap, which is cool, too.

I've never had kimchi as anything but a side dish, that I can recall. I'd like to check out its use in soups, etc. The Hawaiian dude above who suggested using it on hamburgers made me want to try that too. I'm from Hawaii and that's where I first started eating it, but never tried that.

[Popinjay]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm bumping into some recipes on the net, but they say let it sit for 2 days or so. I thought you were supposed to let it sit for a lot longer than that. Does anyone know if just a couple days is enough?

[/ QUOTE ]

2 days and it tastes overwhelmingly cabbage-y and predominantly salty. The longer it sits the tangier it gets. When my mom would make it in the fall it would last the rest of the year. When I said she made tubs of it, I mean tubs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks.

Maybe I should try making it. If she could make tubs, obviously she didn't have to store it all in the fridge, so maybe I could keep the extras somewhere out of the way without devoting an huge portion of fridge space just to kimchi. The ingredients are super cheap, which is cool, too.

I've never had kimchi as anything but a side dish, that I can recall. I'd like to check out its use in soups, etc. The Hawaiian dude above who suggested using it on hamburgers made me want to try that too. I'm from Hawaii and that's where I first started eating it, but never tried that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely do NOT try making it. My dad tried once and it was a huge hassle and was also disgusting. You gotta be taught by your Korean mother or grandmother growing up or there's no hope IMO.

[Blarg]

Really? What was disgusting about it?

[Popinjay]

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Really? What was disgusting about it?

[/ QUOTE ]

He did it wrong somehow and it just tasted awful. Also he made a ton so there was a bunch of awful kimchi sitting around for a while.

[Blarg]

From what people in this thread have been saying, there does seem to be a bit of an art to it. It would be kind of cool to learn, though. Not sure if I'll get around to it, but it does sound like it could be a fun experiment. And if it comes out nasty, it's just cabbage, so no great loss throwing it away. Maybe I'll just try making a small amount at some point. I loved pickled stuff, and had great success pickling mangos and papayas. Kimchi does sound more complicated though.

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm bumping into some recipes on the net, but they say let it sit for 2 days or so. I thought you were supposed to let it sit for a lot longer than that. Does anyone know if just a couple days is enough?

[/ QUOTE ]

2 days and it tastes overwhelmingly cabbage-y and predominantly salty. The longer it sits the tangier it gets. When my mom would make it in the fall it would last the rest of the year. When I said she made tubs of it, I mean tubs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks.

Maybe I should try making it. If she could make tubs, obviously she didn't have to store it all in the fridge, so maybe I could keep the extras somewhere out of the way without devoting an huge portion of fridge space just to kimchi. The ingredients are super cheap, which is cool, too.

I've never had kimchi as anything but a side dish, that I can recall. I'd like to check out its use in soups, etc. The Hawaiian dude above who suggested using it on hamburgers made me want to try that too. I'm from Hawaii and that's where I first started eating it, but never tried that.

[/ QUOTE ]

We had a second fridge in the garage that was devoted, almost exclusively, to holding kimchee. Now she just buys it because the store bought version is vastly improved compared to 20 years ago. So the second fridge has turned into a Costco nightmare.

[Blarg]

How come some people store it in the fridge and some bury it in the backyard or whatever?

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
How come some people store it in the fridge and some bury it in the backyard or whatever?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's the difference between people from Seoul and people from the country. I think.

[M2d]

have one at your place. I'll bring burgers.

[oddjob]

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How come some people store it in the fridge and some bury it in the backyard or whatever?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's the difference between people from Seoul and people from the country. I think.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm guessing that it's the difference between having an extra fridge and not having an extra fridge.

[oddjob]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else find it ironic that TSC has an avatar of Kim Jong Il and he's talking about kimchee?
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/4734/kimchee3yp.png

[/ QUOTE ]

how is this ironic?

[J.A.Sucker]

No grill - maybe we should do it at Boris'. We won't even tell him about it.

[J.A.Sucker]

No reading problem here. I do know that there's tons of Koreans in LA. I also know that's where the best Korean food is. These are facts. My assumption is that there's a ton of Korean markets around. In the Valley, I'm sure you shouldn't have any problem finding a decent market. You can always call the markets ahead of time and find out if they have kimchee at the deli counter. The korean word for kimchee is "kimchee", so even if they don't speak english, it should be possible. I forgot how to say "do you have kimchee today?" Still, you should look for the mu kimchee (raddish). It's the stone cold nuts, and a good one is worth 3 hours in LA traffic. Ditto for the garlic stem kimchee (I forgot the name for that one). While you're at the market, you can get some of those little anchovies in the gocheejong, a case of OB, and a bucket of the shrimp crackers. This should make your drive home in the traffic jam much more enjoyable. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

I would advise against making your own kimchee, because I do think it's an art. Even at some of the better Korean restaurants here, the kimchee sucks. Once you have had the best, it's hard to have anything else, as I'm sure you know. Also, it makes your house smell like crap. Plus, you do need a second "Korean food" fridge. This goes for any korean food - even if you are marinating BBQ. That stuff permeates everything in your fridge like none other. You don't want the milk for your cheerios tasting like bulgogi.

[Blarg]

Hmmm good tip on the not stinking up your fridge. I've seen fridges at work get stunk up so bad it never really goes away. And I guess making my place stink isn't the greatest of ideas. Bah, maybe I'll just go buy it then.

Bobody has yet stated that they have a favorite store bought brand. Any feedback from anyone on that?

[smokingrobot]

do you live near a hahn ah reum (sp?)...

[ QUOTE ]
This stuff can come out in your sweat and make you stink for days.

[/ QUOTE ]

if an othewise attractive korean lady is interested in certain non-koreans this can be a huge problem.

- Weatherly

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]
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This stuff can come out in your sweat and make you stink for days.

[/ QUOTE ]

if an othewise attractive korean lady is interested in certain non-koreans this can be a huge problem.



[/ QUOTE ]

Is it stronger than curry? Because I used to teach a lot of Indians to drive, and when they'd get nervous, OMG let's have the window open shall we...