August 9, 2006
Korea's most famous national dish is kimchi, pickled vegetables, such as cabbage, seasoned with chili peppers and garlic, and then fermented in vinegar. There are dozens of different variations with popularity ranging from city to city and person to person. For many, it's spicy and aromatic enough to be spoken of with a dubious adjectives, such as, acquired. I acquired the taste quickly, but Leah did not, although she does not like dishes with a strong vinegar flavor.
Traditionally, kimchi is prepared, placed in large earthen-ware jar and buried in the ground for a few months. With high density living, however, among other things, burying kimchi has become impractical, so an expressly designed electrical appliance does the job. It looks a bit like a drop in freezer, but the temperature (and possibly humidity?) are controlled with a electronic panel on the front to simulate conditions underground. And, just in case you were wondering, like myself: I was told, no, you shouldn't prepare the kimchi, place it inside and just bury the entire appliance underground.
