Video: Kimchi

"You start with chopped Napa cabbage, which brines so much faster than the whole heads that you might see in other recipes. When it comes to kimchi, salt is the ingredient that's going to draw out water from the cabbage. It's also going to preserve the cabbage. So as this sits out and ferments, lactic acid bacteria is going to form through the fermentation. The kimchi will gain a wonderful, tangy sourness."

"Sometimes called mak kimchi, this kimchi formula starts with chopped napa cabbage and is as easy as dressing a salad. You just toss everything together in a large bowl. Today, we're going to turn this into kimchi. You start with chopped Napa cabbage, which brines so much faster than the whole heads that you might see in other recipes. When it comes to kimchi, salt is the ingredient that's going to draw out water from the cabbage."

Chopped Napa cabbage kimchi (mak kimchi) uses chopped cabbage that brines faster than whole heads, enabling quicker salt-driven water extraction and preservation. Salt draws out water and encourages lactic acid bacteria to develop during fermentation, producing a tangy, sour flavor. Aromatics such as garlic and ginger, and optional fruit like apple, are pureed and mixed with the cabbage, then tossed like a salad. The mixture is jarred and left at room temperature for a couple of days to ferment, then refrigerated to continue slow fermentation. The finished kimchi remains a live, lacto-fermented condiment with evolving flavor.

Read at www.nytimes.com