The kimchi is done! It took two full days to complete, but if I were to do it myself, I think it would’ve taken weeks. Experiencing the whole process really made me appreciate kimchi in a whole new way. It’s such a standard presence on my dinner table, that I don’t think I’ve ever really given it a second thought. But that’s exactly why kimchi is so important, because I eat it everyday. To know where all the ingredients came from and how much preparation went into it makes you enjoy it more. I found it really impressive how authentic and culturally intact each part was. All the ingredients were local, seasonal, and all the methods used could have been seen 100, 300, 500 years ago. Well, maybe except the mandolin we used to cut the radishes. That probably cut three days worth of work to two.
In theory, this batch is supposed to last one year, so you can imagine how much of everything we needed (we’re talking restaurant kitchen proportions). No recipe was used and I lost count after 50 cabbage heads, that I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking.
Ingredient List:
Asian Cabbage, 배추, behchu
Red Pepper Flakes, 고추가루, gochu-gahlu
Asian Radishes, 무, mu
Dropwort/Chinese Celery/Japanese Parsley, 미나리, minari
Green Onions, 파, pa
Leeks, 대파, dehpa
Leaf Mustard/Mustard Greens, 갓, gat
Brined Mini Shrimp, 새우젓, sewoo-jut
Fresh Mini Shrimp, 생새우, seng-sewoo
Asian Pears, 배, beh
Fish Sauce, 젓국, jut-guk
Chestnuts, 밤, bahm
Garlic, 마늘, manul
Ginger, 생강, seng-gang
Salt, 소금, sogum
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babe! love the pics… your family did a massive job with it hahah
it makes me wish mymy unni was here, too. anyway, our family did some of keemjang too today so i posted pics up but i liked yours better so i referred your site from mine 
stay warm! xx
Thank you for the Korean lesson!
WOW!! This is amazing!!!
I love kimchi but I want to make my own soon. But not all the ingredients are available. But at least you have the step by step photos.
I love kimchi.I learned to eat kimchi when my family moved to Koje Do and lived there for 1+ yrs. Korean food are so delicious. I make kimchi very often.
Wow. This is really cool! It looks like a lot of hard work!
This is my favorite entry so far!
awesome!!! i remember making kimchi in korean cooking class and with my aunt long time ago!! its so fun. but it really has to do with “son maht”! its always the best when grandmas make it. hahaha these are GREAT pics!!!!!
This is an awesome post, and what an incredible undertaking! Your photos really say it all. I will have newfound reverence for kimchi from here on out!
Wow, so jealous! the color looks good… real good!
This is the real deal, not like some vinegar added, “creative” kimchi.
My grandma just makes kimchi as the time goes. So no more is this massive undertaking of kimchi-making!
OMG I HAD NO IDEA KIMCHI HAD SHRIMP IN IT AHHHH!!
Wow! Way more than my simple kimchi… fun too. GREG
ray, kimchi is like wine. Regional differences, family traditions, types of kimchi, producers of kimchi dictate what is in kimchi. People say there are as many types of kimchi as Korean moms in the world (well, the saying is actually more for soy bean soup, but that is another story).
Many kimchi do have (fermented) shrimp sauce in it, but people certainly do make kimchi without it. My dad hates the smell of the shrimp sauce so in my family, we make kimchi without it.
Wow that looks like an epic kimchee making session. Love the photos Jess, they look really great. Do you get to eat it right away? Good luck with your Thanksgiving cooking. I’m cooking dinner this year by myself. Eep!