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The Kimchi Masters of South Korea Can Teach You a Thing or Two

They have more than 200 years of combined kimchi experience, but ask any one of South Korea’s most esteemed kimchi makers the secret to a good one and you will get a different answer.

“Delicious kimchi begins with good ingredients,” said Lee Hayeon, 65, one of five people designated as a “Korean Food Grand Master” by South Korea’s agriculture department, which gives the title to makers across various categories, including liquor, tea and jang.

The Times spoke to all five current kimchi masters to learn what their kimchi journeys might teach a lover of this foundational Korean dish. All of the masters expressed concern about changes in how kimchi is made and consumed. Each of them waxed lyrical about the health benefits of traditional kimchi, but they worry about the rise of mass-produced, exported kimchi.

Haemul-Seokbakji

Lee Hayeon, Master of Seafood Kimchi

Lee Hayeun runs a YouTube channel dedicated to kimchi in addition to her role as grand master.Credit…Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

On her YouTube channel, Ms. Lee says, “The dish requires so many ingredients, but you can make do by leaving things out or finding substitutions to achieve a similar flavor.”

Credit…Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

The stuffing for the kimchi is filled by lifting each leaf of the cabbage and wrapping it together.Credit…Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Ms. Lee’s signature kimchi bears little resemblance to the spicy red cabbage kimchi found at Korean restaurants the world over. The stars of her kimchi are five different types of seafood — abalone, conch, octopus, oysters and raw shrimp — along with cabbage, garlic and gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder).

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