History of Kimchee

History of Kimchee

If you are interested in Korean culture or food, you probably know that Korean people love to eat kimchee! There are many types of kimchee and the history of kimchee dates far back!

The history of kimchee dates back as far as the 3 Kingdoms period 57BC. It has been documented that picked and fermented dishes were eaten during this period.

Amongst pickled vegetables was the picked radish which is a form of kimchee. However, these types of picked vegetables did not include chili peppers until the 16 th century. The chili peppers were introduced to Korea by Portuguese traders. With this they started to make the spicy types of kimchees that are commonly enjoyed today .

Most popular and widely known kimchee is the cabbage kimchee. It can be made white (not spicy) or with chili pepper powder (spicy). Other popular kimchees are radish kimchee, green onion kimchee, chives kimchee, cucumber kimchee, and many more. In total there are believed to be over 180 types of different kimchees that are eaten today in Korea.

Another important fact is that they kimchee you have will taste different depending on which region it is coming from! The ingredients that go into making the kimchee are different for each region. Each region in Korea, has their own way making fermenting the cabbage or vegetable and creating the desired taste.

Lastly, depending on the season the kimchee is made it will taste different! Many people make the kimchee right before winter and eat it all year long! This is called kimjang. There are also types of kimchees that are made in the summer, spring, and fall as well.

We hope that this helps you in understanding one of the staple foods of Korea kimchee!