Kimchi-making explained in English book

An English book on “kimjang,” the kimchi-making process for the winter, was released on Monday to mark the Korean tradition likely to be designated UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.

The 192-page “Kimjang: Making and Sharing Kimchi” explains the origin, history and people behind kimchi, possibly the most popular Korean food.

“Kimchi, along with rice, is one of the two things that people in this country cannot live without. It is fine to make a small amount of kimchi in spring or in summer when it is not cold, but for winter there is a need to make large quantities to get through five to six months. Therefore, it means ‘hiding treasures,’” the book says. “Every family readies a great volume of kimchi in early winter and stores it either in a kimchi refrigerator or in earthenware jars which would then be buried underground.”

Different ingredients and recipes according to different styles of kimchi, as well as accounts of people who make kimchi outside Korea are introduced in the book.

“Since a growing number of people around the world are beginning to develop a taste for kimchi, kimchi recipes are also summarized in the final section. I hope that readers are able to gain a wider and deeper understanding of kimchi and of kimjang,” said Kim Jong-jin, president of the foundation.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)