In celebration of International Kimchi Day, the Tatler editors share their favourite kimchi dishes—and where to get them or how to make them
Kimchi, a staple in Korean cuisine, can be cooked in a number of ways—in rice, in soup, in noodles, in a pancake or even just as a side dish. Indulging in Korean food just isn’t complete without kimchi. And just like K-pop, Korean dramas and movies, kimchi has also reached global status.
But did you know that there’s an actual day that celebrates this spicy condiment? The Kimchi Association of Korea chose November 22 as International Kimchi Day since 2017—the date was chosen based on scientific research. According to the association, this is the day when the kimchi’s flavour is at its best.
To join in the celebration, our Tatler editors share their favourite kimchi dishes for you to try. Read on to find out what they are.
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I love kimchi of all varieties—baechu (classic cabbage), oi sobagi (stuffed cucumber), kkakdugi (cubed radish) and so on—but unfermented geotjeori (fresh cabbage kimchi) is probably one of my favourites. It’s the crispness of the fresh cabbage with the spicy kick of the gochugaru (Korean chili pepper) that makes this particular variation so great to eat just on plain steamed rice.
The version at Jin Luo Bao—a pretty old-school Korean restaurant that has been at Island Beverly in Causeway Bay for as long as I can remember—is excellent, with snappy leaves and punchy yet balanced spice. If I’m going the fermented kimchi route, it’s hard to beat the comforting profile of a good kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) with properly old, tangy cabbage, or the hot delicious mess that is budae jjigae, or army stew, with all the essential goodies such as spam, instant noodles and even baked beans.
— Charmaine Mok, Content Director, Tatler Dining Hong Kong
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