Kim Chi--Cabbage Kim Chi

As I mentioned last week, kim chi (or kim chee or gimchee or however you choose to spell it) is the national dish of Korea. To be sure, Koreans have been making the stuff for about 3,000 years, so they’ve had a bit of time to perfect it.

Originally, kim chi was vegetables like radish and cabbage fermented in beef stock. Over time the beef stock was replaced with salt and the variety of vegetables increased. Near the coast seafood was often added. Sometime in the 1700s peppers from the New World made their way into Korea. The first written reference to chili peppers in kim chi dates to around 1776, and modern kim chi was born.

There are literally thousands of variations of kim chi. The Kim Chi Field Museum documents 186 varieties of kim chi, and every region has its own style. Also, each family has their own recipes. Kim chi varies according to season and what crops are available. Fermentation times also vary, from one day to several months. One thing I’ve learned about kim chi is that it’s really hard to generalize it. Kim chi is often made with Korean peppers and very spicy, but there are many varieties of “white” kim chi that are not spicy. Kim chi can also be sweet, and there are many kinds that include fruit. Often sea food is added, which adds to the complexity and nutritional value. Kim chi also figures prominently in Korean cooking: soup, stews, crispy pancakes, fried rice, etc. One thing is very clear: whether spicy or mild, sweet or sour, complex or simple, kim chi truly is a national treasure.

Today, kim chi is still very important to Korea and Koreans. It is perceived as a very healthy food and is present at virtually every meal. Government researchers studying its benefits have found a correlation between kim chi consumption and protection from the recent outbreaks of SARS and Bird Flu. Do I believe it? You bet I do! The vitamin C and other nutrients in healthy foods like cabbage, radish, garlic, and chili peppers helps boost the immune system, while the various bacteria in the fermentation process actively defend their territory (in this case their territory is you.)

Koreans are the largest per capita consumers of chili peppers in the world, much of it in their kim chi. Modern Koreans have a variety of pre-made kim chi to choose from but often make their own. When I go to the local Korean market, all the makings are available in abundance. For urban and suburban Koreans who do not have a place to bury the crocks in traditional fashion, there are special refrigeration units to keep the fermenting kim chi at the ideal temperature.

This picture from the Kim Chi Museum shows traditional kim chi storage urns and a modern kim chi refrigerator.

When Koreans are taking pictures and want people to smile, instead of saying “Cheese”, they say “Kim Chee!”

…and they very well have reason to smile.

This week my recipe is my take on cabbage kim chi. This is a relatively simple recipe that I’ve adapted from a number or different recipes I’ve tried. in later postings I’ll explore other more complex techniques. I made this recipe for my Korean Dahn Yoga instructor, who seemed to like it. She ate it some of it straight but also made a soup with it. If you cannot find Korean red pepper flake I would recommend using a medium heat dried pepper, crushed by hand, or minced fresh peppers to taste. The dashi (fish stock) is optional, as is the sugar.

INGREDIENTS:

Napa cabbage, one or more heads

Per head of cabbage:

1 or 2 tsp salt (to taste)

Korean red pepper flakes to taste, approximately 4 tbsp.

One or two green onions, minced

Asian chives, minced

1-3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup dashi or fish stock (optional)

1 tbsp sugar (optional)

1. Cut cabbage into quarters and rinse well. Allow to drain.

2. Slice cabbage into small slices, put into a pot or other container, and add salt and dashi to taste.

3. While letting cabbage “sweat”, slice up other vegetables and mix with the cabbage.

4. Add the red pepper and sugar.

5. Mix well with your hands, gently squeezing the cabbage. Pack tightly into canning jars and screw lid tightly.

Within a day or two fermentation will be apparent. Occasionally open the lid to let the built up gas to escape and sample the kim chi. This recipe is ready to eat within 24 hours, or can be aged for several weeks to develop flavor. It should keep unrefrigerated for at least a month. Often I will make a light meal of kim chi and rice, or I will add it to some other dish for a bit of pizzaz.

Next week I'll post my recipe for radish kim chi. Stay tuned!

Sauerkraut, Part 2--History

The story of sauerkraut is really the history of the cultivation and spread of cabbage. Evidence seems to indicate that cabbage began in the Mediterranean. To be sure, the Romans ate cabbage. The word “salad” comes from “Sal”, which means salt. Romans were fond of putting salt on their raw greens…salted greens? Sounds like sauerkraut to me!

However, I’m going to start with China, where cabbage has been cultivated for about 4,000 years. When the Great Wall of China was being built, some 2,000 years ago, the laborers were fed cabbage fermented in rice wine. Work on the Wall was certainly arduous, and many of the locations were remote. A food supply was needed that would keep and travel well.

When Genghis Khan invaded China about 1,000 years later, he adopted this fermented cabbage, added salt, and was so happy with it, that he gave it to his army to spread the good news about this nutritious and tasty food.

Pictured here is a band of Mongols, getting ready to bring the joys of sauerkraut to YOUR town:

The Mongols invaded a huge chunk of Asia and parts of Eastern Europe. Sauerkraut gave the soldiers a “sour” attitude and they were famous for both their speed and rapaciousness. From the parts of Europe that the Mongols invaded, the Jews as they migrated are credited with spreading sauerkraut making throughout Europe and Russia.

In Europe, especially in colder climates, cabbage was a popular crop. It was easy to cultivate, thrived in cooler climates, and it kept well in winter. Cabbage was a staple for many farmers, and continues to be one today. Making the cabbage into sauerkraut made it more nutritious and last longer, crucial for surviving the cold harsh winters of Russia and Eastern Europe.

I should note that although Jews are noted for sauerkraut and pickles, I’m not at all certain that they got the knowledge from the Mongols, nor am I certain that the Germans or Russians got it from the Jews. There certainly seems to be a connection, so I don’t discount it, and it makes a good story. Cabbage, salt, and a container are all that is required, and salt has been used as a food preservative for tens of thousands of years. It's possible that the culturing of sauerkraut occurred spontaneously in several places, but it is certain that as these human cultures moved and interacted that they would have influenced each other and shared techniques, plants, recipes, etc.

Sauerkraut is a great source of vitamin C, and when the Dutch and Germans went exploring on the high seas, they took sauerkraut with them to prevent scurvy. The British learned to do the same thing, but later switched to limes which I suppose were plentiful in some of their territories (plus I'm sure that the sauerkraut was adulterating the delicate flavor and texture of that wonderful British hardtack.) As the British switched to limes, they became known as “limeys”. The Dutch and Germans continued to carry sauerkraut and were known as “krauts.”

In the Americas, sauerkraut was brought by Germans, who became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. The Pennsylvania Dutch and the Amish are still known for their krauts and pickles. Soon after came Jews with their excellent versions, and later came Eastern Europeans, also with their great versions. Who makes the best? Depends on who you talk to.

Due to food rationing during the World Wars, sauerkraut was very important in the U.S. as a means of stretching food value. Of course, it wasn't called sauerkraut...it was called "Liberty Cabbage." So, a "frankfurter with sauerkraut and french fries" would become the more patriotic "Liberty Dog with a side of Freedom!"

All American Victory Victuals! Yum!

The history of sauerkraut is a living history. It is a story of a relationship between people and plants, people and beneficial bacterial cultures, and between people and other people. In tracing sauerkraut from Ancient China to Europe and the Americas, I'm only touching on the tiniest fraction of this story. It is an amazing and personal story. Since most cultures have some sort of fermentation tradition, chances are that I am talking about YOU. Whether you are of European, Asian, or African descent, your parents most likely didn’t make sauerkraut or pickles, but your grandparents or great grandparents CERTAINLY did. If you go back a generation or two, you’ll find members of your family that made sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt, wine, etc. Our personal relationship with these cultures and history is intrinsic to human survival, but that is for another blog.

My recipe for this week I’ve decided to call “Genghis Jim’s Mongolian Horde Kraut.” It’s inspired of my reading about sauerkraut being fed to laborers working on the Great Wall 2,000 years ago and Genghis Khan's later assault of that Wall and his invasion of China. I started out by trying cabbage in rice wine and mirin, which was a little soggy and flat. I then added some salt, which helped, but it still needed something. Even 2,000 years ago the Chinese had herbs and spices. Also, Genghis Khan would have had access to herbs and spices from throughout the world. This recipe is not meant to be an accurate representation of an ancient sauerkraut recipe, but rather is my tribute to a period of history. I have mostly tried to keep accurate to ingredients that would have been available, but I think Mr. Khan would have liked chili peppers if they were available. This is a spicy blend that will get you going and ready to scale whatever Great Wall lies in front of you. I invite you to try it and hope you enjoy!


INGREDIENTS
1 or more heads of Chinese (Napa) cabbage, chopped
Per head of cabbage:
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
1 small bunch of chives, garlic chives if available (optional)
1 or two carrots and/or radishes , grated (optional)
2 to 4 tablespoons rice wine, mirin, or sherry
Chinese black or white pepper (or fresh ground black pepper) to taste
5 spice powder to taste (or you can add star anise, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves)
Korean red pepper flakes or a small hot pepper cored and chopped (optional)
Salt to taste, about 2 tsp per head.

Chop cabbage and put into a pot. Add salt and mix it with your hands thoroughly. Taste it—it should be salty. Let it sit and “sweat” while chopping the other veggies.



Add the other vegetables and mix thoroughly. Then add spices, mixing and tasting it. Add the wine until you are satisfied with the blend of flavor.



Pack tightly into canning jars as per my instructions in my previous post. Seal and leave it for a week or so to ferment. Sample occasionally until it’s fermented to your satisfaction. This should keep for several months unrefrigerated.

Thank you for reading. Next week I’ll discuss sauerkraut and human culture and present another recipe or two.

He looks hungry!

Sauerkraut, Part 1--The basics

I have a confession to make: I never did like sauerkraut. I never could understand why someone would do that to perfectly good cabbage…Until I started making it myself. I’d like to say it’s because my tastes matured, and that’s certainly part of it. I’d been reading about sauerkraut, thinking about the wonders of fermentation and was now ready to look at it with a much more open mind.

I think it’s also kind of like the guy who hates children…until he becomes a daddy. Now all children are special, but of course HIS kid is the best!

As I’ve learned more about fermentation I’ve come to appreciate foods like sauerkraut, and of course (to me) mine is the best! I eat some every day. I love its sour, crunchy, cabbage-y goodness. I credit my fondness for sauerkraut and other fermented foods with a dramatic improvement in my overall health over the past few years.

So, what IS sauerkraut, anyway? In its simplest form, It is chopped cabbage that has been salted and allowed to ferment. Generally this is done in a barrel or crock with a weight to press down the sauerkraut. However, this is Life in a Jar, not Life in a Barrel, so I am going to show how I’ve adapted it to making it in a canning jar.

The following recipe is the most basic recipe, and it really is extremely simple. There are only two ingredients! After describing the process I’ll explain a little of what is going on. Over the next few weeks I’ll give some historical and cultural background along with some (hopefully) intriguing variations on this basic recipe. After that I’ll address kim chi.

If you’ve never made sauerkraut before, I recommend you try this simplest method first. It’s cheap and easy to do and even if you’ve never been a fan of sauerkraut before you might learn to love this basic and healthy food as I have.

Ingredients:

1 or more heads of cabbage (green, red, or napa)

Salt, preferably non-iodized (kosher, sea salt, etc.) a few tbsp per head of cabbage.

Equipment:

Canning jars with lids and seals, quart and/or pint size

A large pot, tub, or bowl

1. Cut up your cabbage. I usually start by cutting into quarters uncored (I just cut the brown parts off.) Next you can cut it as fine or coarse as you wish. I like to cut it into pieces large enough to be interesting on a fork but small enough to pack easily into a jar.

2. Place cut cabbage into pot, tub, or bowl. Add salt, mixing it with your hands to coat the cabbage completely. Taste the cabbage. It should be salty. If it doesn’t taste salty enough, add a little more salt. At this point you can add other spices if you wish. Press and squeeze the cabbage a little bit to help rub in the salt and get it “sweating.” Once the cabbage is salted, some people let it sit for a little while, from 20 minutes to overnight.

3. Pack the sauerkraut-to-be into your jar(s.) Pack it in a bit tight, pushing it down. Fill jars right to the top. Any liquid in the container should be poured in as well. Seal the jars.

IMPORTANT: Be certain to completely fill your jars as much as possible. A gap in the top of up to an inch is okay, but no half filled jars! A half full jar will run risk of contamination, and contamination is just simply no fun. There are three things you can do with your extra cabbage: 1. Graduate to a smaller jar (i.e. from a quart to a pint); 2. Save the cabbage in a container for a few days and then stuff it into the other jar(s) as they start to “settle.” 3. Eat it. You can eat it plain, or stir fry or in a soup or on a sandwich. I generally do some combination of these three tactics.

Once your jars are sealed, place them in a quiet place for a few days. Check on it: when you open the jar it should “hissssss” from gas escaping. Taste a little bit…It’s not gonna bite you. After about three days it’ll start getting a little “tang” to the flavor. In a week it should be pretty sour, depending the temperature. Here in Southern California it’s officially sauerkraut after about a week. Well sealed it should continue to develop for months. You can keep sampling it, deciding how fermented you like it. Fermentation can be slowed by putting it in a refrigerator.

VARIATIONS/ADDITIONS: I like to add Korean red pepper flake and/or cracked black pepper. Try your favorite spices or spice blends. Caraway seeds and fresh cut dill are tasty, and you can try any fresh herbs that strike your fancy (I have not had great results with dried herbs, but maybe that’s just me.) You can grate carrots, beets, radishes, or mince some garlic, onion, chives, leeks, fennel etc. I understand that many people slice apple into it, and I see how that could work nicely, but I haven’t personally tried it.

I’ve explained the procedure, but what is happening here? Very simply we are encouraging some specific bacteria to develop, bacteria that is good for us. Let’s break it into the component parts and see what is happening:

1. The cabbage. Cabbage is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. It is an excellent source of vitamins K and C. Cabbage is also a very good source of dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin B6 and folate, and a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, tryptophan, protein and magnesium. Consumption of cabbage has been linked to reduction of breast and certain other cancers. Cabbages, like other plants (and animals and people) have resident inside them a variety of bacteria, such as lactobacilli, that during fermentation can make many of these nutrients, especially the minerals, easier for our bodies to absorb.

2. The salt. Salt has been used since the beginning of history as a preservative. Here it serves two functions: It inhibits the growth of “bad” bacteria, allowing the beneficial bacteria to thrive. It also helps the cabbage retain its crunchiness so that the mature sauerkraut has that distinctive “squeaky” crunch. Too much salt is not a good thing, but too little can end up with soggy sauerkraut that is likely to go bad more quickly. The balance of salt is something that varies and is dependent on personal taste. I recommend non-iodized salt as the iodine can add a slightly bitter flavor. If you don’t care about that, then go ahead and use iodized. I personally use a sea salt because I believe there are some extra essential minerals that the fermentation process makes easier to absorb.

3. The jar. As I said, traditionally sauerkraut is done in barrels or crocks and pressed to limit the amount of air the cabbage is exposed to. I have read warnings against using canning jars because of risk of contamination. Certainly one must be careful, but I’ve had only one jar go bad, and that jar was filled halfway, with too much exposure to air before the lactobacilli had a chance to fully propagate. Canning jars are cheap (less than $10 per dozen,) reusable, and it’s easy to get replacement lids and seals. Also, the seals on canning jars are designed to keep things out, but not in, so if too much pressure builds up the seal “blows” instead of the entire jar exploding. It is comforting to know that when the weather gets warm I don’t have a cupboard full of glass shrapnel grenades.

4. The bacteria. You can’t see them, but they take center stage in this show. They process the minerals and nutrients in the cabbage that are harder for us to assimilate and make them easier for to absorb. They also combine to produce nutrients such as vitamin B, making the cabbage a more complete food.

In the process of protecting itself, the lactobacilli create lactic acid making the distinctive sour flavor. This mimics the natural acidic environment of our gastrointestinal system, making it easier on our digestive system. Also, the living bacteria aids our body in digestion and helps protect against unfriendly bacteria that can cause food poisoning and other illnesses. The juice is also a good tonic, filled with vitamins and minerals and stuff. I drink it straight or mixed with vegetable juice.

Okay, so that’s the basics. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send a comment. I will be happy to reply. Next week I’ll discuss history and give a couple more interesting recipes!