Kimchi with Long History

Pyongyang, November 3 (KCNA) -- In the DPRK, November is the Kimchi-making season.

Many families are preparing to make Kimchi, one of their major non-staple foods in winter.

According to historic data, the Korean people have made Kimchi with vegetables since the period before Koguryo Kingdom (B.C. 277-A.D. 668).

The then people did not cultivate Korean cabbage and pepper but radish, lettuce and others. Therefore, they made Kimchi with pickled radish and several kinds of edible herbs.

That time Kimchi was called Chimchae or Chimjang in the meaning of pickled vegetables.

There was Kimchi made with parsley and bamboo sprout in the period of Koguryo.

Methods of making Kimchi were developed and diversified in the mid-17th century, the period of feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910) as Korean cabbage and pepper had been cultivated in Korea.

According to data in the 17th century, there were the methods of making 30 kinds of Kimchi and the kinds of Kimchi were over 60 in the 18th century.

In the 18th century, the people had made Kimchi with Korean cabbage, radish, cucumber, egg plant, leaf mustard and edible herbs as main materials and with pepper, spring onion, garlic, ginger, chestnut, fruit, fish and pickled fish as secondary materials.

Since then, Kimchi became one of the foods favored by the Korean people as well as soybean paste, soybean sauce and hot pepper paste.

Kimchi has developed with regional characteristics as materials and methods of making Kimchi are different according to regions.

Kimchi is also popular among foreigners for its peculiar flavour and aroma. -0-