So -- this short diversion from my planned three-article series on kimchi, to report on the kimchi crisis.
The importance of kimchi in the Korean diet is emphasized by this crisis. It seems quite traumatic. If people don't get their three servings of kimchi a day, they feel on edge. Or worse. Consider these news reports:
From NPR: "Koreans can't live without kimchi, said Pak Sung-hoo as he dined on a kimchi-based stew at Namsan Kimchi Jigae restaurant in Seoul. Even if the price of dishes made with kimchi goes up a few dollars, he said, he's willing to pay."
And this: "Though the mouth-scorching dish can be readily bought in stores, many people make it on their own at home — a laborious process that requires it to be stored and fermented during the winter months. Many homes have special kimchi refrigerators that regulate temperatures to maintain the preferred level of fermentation.
"I don't know how long I can keep ignoring my grandkids' and my husband's demands for kimchi every meal," said Kim Hyung-sook, who lives in northern Seoul. "You're not Korean if you don't eat kimchi three times a day."
From The Economist: It is hard to exaggerate the importance to Korean life of kimchi, which is usually made of fermented cabbage. Its presence at every meal, as well as its health benefits, give it an almost religious status. It is a national symbol, and the one food item that (in an entirely unscientific poll undertaken by The Economist) a majority of Koreans “cannot live without”.
And this article from the New York Times, that everyone has quoted from:
The price increases have caused many middle- and lower-income homemakers to cancel the making of kimchi at home this year, a traditional rite of autumn that typically brings together mothers, daughters, aunts, grannies and neighbors. Some families can go through a couple of hundred heads of cabbage, and it’s not unusual for all the bathtubs and sinks in a house to be filled with bobbing cabbages as they are washed, soaked and brined.
The making of kimchi is more art than science, more a craft than a repeatable recipe. There are hundreds of variations, with varying ingredients, colorations, textures and levels of heat. As well as a condiment, kimchi is eaten in Korea as a main dish, in soups, stews or with fried rice. There are kimchi burgers, kimchi bacon rolls and kimchi pizza.
I checked recent articles, and the crisis has abated a bit because of the imports from China. The domestic US market for kimchi does not seem to be affected.
So, I'll forge on with my articles, secure in the feeling that here in New England, kimchi is still easy to find. As long as you know where to look.
Here's the complete series of articles on kimchi:
Enough kimchi for a lifetime of exploration kimchi stew kimchi pancakes (stay tuned!) and this extra article on the kimchi crisis in Korea
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