Kudos Alex as always. As a Korean, I do appreciate someone having a go at our food, and I do love your more scientific engineer mind at work!! A few things you may find out about the kimchi making and (what's even better) eating experience. I am sure you have found some of the following info, but I add anyway. :) 1. Traditionally, families make the whole cabbage kimchi and store them as whole, cut into bite-sizes just before serving. - They seem to age better, and give the best flavor profile that most Koreans do prefer. - Pre-cut kimch is usually made at restaurants and diners. They ferment quicker and thus product cycle is short for them. 2. Everyone has a preferred state of fermentation. - By now, you will have noticed that the shorter the fermentation, the structure of cabbage is better-maintained. - The wilting of cabbage begins as soon as you use the brine (for whole cabbage, we use dry-brine, FYI), and as it ferments further, the cabbage usually loses that aldente-like bite and becomes softer. - Some people do prefer the early stage fermentation with its more fresh vibe, and there are others who prefer them over-fermented. - For cooking recipes with Kimchi, those over-fermented ones are the best. We put them in Kimchi-jjigae (stew-like kimchi dish), or to put in dumplings as one of the ingredients, etc. - BTW, most Korean families have a dedicated kimchi-refrigerator where they keep their kimchi at their preferred fermentation state. - Oh, and 99% of Koreans will tell you instant rameon noodles (Korean ones) should be accompanied by Kimchi!! :) 3. Kimchi is a food classification, rather than a specific recipe. and cabbage kimchi is the most common one. (This of pasta as classification and spaghetti as one of the best-known ones) - Many different vegetables can be turned into Kimchi with each offering a unique flavor - My you-must-try-this recommendation is one made with cucumber, called 오이소박이 (o-yi-so-bak-i). With this one, you want very light fermentation as cucumber wilts too much later on. Seriously, please do try one (not even on camera, bur for yourself!) Anyways, I rambled on so much as I am quite passionate about food as well, and was so excited to see you making kimchi on your own. Cheers!!!
I live in Korea now and some of the things you said are new to me. By your explanation I think I like the kimchi with a short fermentation the best. Oh and I love 오이소박이, I think it’s even more refreshing than the short fermentation style kimchi and it has a little sweetness to it that I like.
It's awesome to see you try to reverse-engineer the recipe from what you bought. More of these please, as you said it's a great way to show the principles behind those results !
"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." "I don't much care where -" "Then it doesn't matter which way you go. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
"No I don't know where I'm going But I sure know where I've been [. .] Though I keep searchin' for an answer I never seem to find what I'm lookin' for"
Again such great camera/editing work, those slow zoom ins and outs and you're not even operating the camera also the cuts it's all so seamless and spectacular
Alex: watches TH-cam Me: watches Alex watch TH-cam Also me: "Wonder if someone is watching me watch Alex watch TH-cam..." * looks over shoulder nervously *
I watch her for a while until in 1 video she made a trio-color sandwich, introduced her puppy by grabbing the puppy in front of camera, then taste the sandwich with the same unwashed hand, then I'm done.
As soon as i saw him put ALL THAT KIMCHI in that jar I immediately thought "OH BOY, THE BEGINNER'S MISTAKE!" hahahaha I also got kimchi juice all over my cabinet the first time I made it, never again!
Same here, I have made kimchi a few times, and I knew it was going to make a mess. Same goes for buying in jars, open it over the sink, or it will make a mess.
things I have learned so far whilst trying to make kimchi: -go easy on the ginger or it will dominate when kimchi gets older -using washed hands yields a different taste and more fermentation than when using gloves all the way -same goes for overwashing the veggies, salt is there to kill the bad stuff -more apples/pears less plain sugar makes for a more complex taste
New to the channel and just want to say how much I appreciate the 'sponsor timer' that runs on the bottom of the screen, it stops my brain from immediately trying to skip to the end of the segment by setting a concrete expectation of time.
Great video! You hit the right idea when you said "it's more important to learn the principle than to learn ratios". Nice to learn with someone who is also learning.
2nd step for reverse engineering recipe - understanding principle. starch - add sweetness, increase bacteria activity, provide texture to brine. more starch, faster fermentation. fish sauce & fermented shrimp - for protein and 'umami'. Different protein source is possible; fermented fish, anchovy, clam, oyster, or even beef.
Pour avoir vécu en Corée et avoir mangé pas mal de kimchi, je dois dire que ta façon de faire est "on point" ! Mais il manque un petit ingredient qui est je pense essentiel dans la fermentation : fermented salted shrimps. Certains coréens mettent aussi des huître ou encore de la poire asiatique, à tester peut être ;)
Alex, you're in inspiration, I literally just scheduled a meeting with a chef at a restaurant in town, not for a job, but just for questions about how to make white wine reduction sauce, I've been trying to think about how to make it off the top of my head, which is super hard, and I need to know why it tastes properly, You've introduced me to this cooking lifestyle which I didn't know I'd like so much until you showed me how. Thanks man, and I really appreciate all you do
Never thought you'd make kimchi it was so fun to watch as a Korean. And also recipe of kimchi differ house to house so it means you can make your own recipe and call it a kimchi.
True ❤❤❤ I always felt awkward about using green cabbage instead of napa ('cause it's absurdly expensive here) but seeing Maangchi's vid about emergency kimchi when she was in Mexico (where she also uses green cabbage and a local variety of chili flakes) gave me enough confidence to do it and not feeling ashamed of calling it kimchi even if it wasn't made in the most traditional way! She's an inspiration!
Gaby Martínez My mom used to make kimchi with white (maybe green) cabbage because they didnt sell nappa cabbage in Germany when i was little. It was pretty good too as far as I remember. But when you tell this story to people in Korea, they all go “aww poor you.” Lol Wtf. I said it was still good.
@@gabtroublemaker Kimchi is made with tons of different vegetables. The kind that uses Napa cabbage is just the most popular one. So don't feel bad about using a different type of cabbage, or not using any kind of cabbage at all! It will still be kimchi.
I grew up with all kinds of fermented pickles. Your experience is typical. Real pickles continue to ferment and become stronger in flavor. Everyone has a range of ideal fermentation, some like the younger stages of pickles, some have a taste for the really old, very fermented flavor. That is where I am, some friends will give me their pickles after they have become too strong for them. There is nothing that matches the taste of home made pickles. Glad you explored this area of cuisine. 👍
I agree. One of my favorite pickles is the Kosher half dill. But when I get too big a jar and it sits too long I get regular Kosher dills. My son likes very fresh cucumber kimchi. I like it just a couple days older. Much more than that ...
You might try using shio koji (Japanese seasoning which is also vegan) instead of fish sauce. Koji is the mold used to make miso and sake. It is said to enhance the umami flavor. I use it when I make Japanese style pickled cabbage.
Hi Alex, I'm a Korean and I thought it would be great if you could try out "Baek Kimchi" or "Dongchimi" which are white kimchis. They are more traditional than standard red kimchi. The taste is much cleaner and easier to approach for foreigners. Loving your videos!
It's easiest to find baechu kimchi outside of Korea. Actually, it's hard to find anything other than spicy baechu kimchi, unless you happen to live somewhere kimchi has become popular or a city with a large Korean population.
@@kinimsmith2605 i pretty much never do the same twice! But cubing radishes (1 tbsp Salt per big radish) and mixong it with garlic, ginger and the veggies at Hand in a jar has to be the simplest so far. With a lot of carrots it gets very sweetish.
I had recently seen a video on TH-cam of a kimchi master. I am devastated I have not had a chance try her kimchi first-hand. Just her passion of how she speaks it...... I understand now......
yeah i was a little confused when he looked at the list of ingredients for store-bought, but he kinda lost me when he literally watched recipe videos online. Even if he didn't follow the recipes, he still got a lot of information from them :/ still a cool video but i'd like to see a more blind attempt at something
Jason Scott late response but he wasn’t trying to make this a challenge video, he just wanted to specify that he wanted to learn kimchi technique, not just blindly following a kimchi recipe
As someone who has done fermentation myself I was not surprised that Alex's tasted better than the store product. He was able to make it as a small batch and take his time with ingredients and process. Industrially fermented food has to be prepared in large batches with simplified methods that a machine can handle. If you like fermented foods try making your own; it's worth the effort.
So fun to much someone with 0 experience in Korean food make kimchi! All families have different kimchi recipes passed down in the family and they all taste different. Now you can too ! Also the fermentation process/ storage is so difficult and important that we use 'kimchi fridges'! Love to try your kimchi!
You don't have to use nappa cabbage either, you can use "European" or american cabbage and the result is very similar. A few years ago I found myself with 10 heads of cabbage given to me for free! and I didn't want to make sauerkraut so I made kimchi with it and it's great too. Maybe if you go to a farmer's market you can get cabbage for next to nothing. Also, I use an airlock, I could have told you it would spill everywhere :) If you use fermented shrimp in your recipe, the fermentation will be even more violent ;) Finally, you should give a shoutout to maangchi, she's great. If you ever go back to N.Y. you should to a collab together... choppu! choppu!
I am impressed on your kimchi making. I am Korean and i have never made kimchi myself all my life. Just discovered your channel. Really enjoying. Its makes me motivated to cook more at home.
As a Korean I really enjoyed watching your journey of discovery that this video was. I highly encourage you try the overall method on whatever else you think it could work on (and would love to hear of any attempts/experiments) and I also encourage you try experimenting with other things to throw in to the mix as seasoning. There's even bodies that recognise and go over the different varieties of kimchi! Personally I like my kimchi fermented fairly well and enjoy the white-stem portions the most as they still hold up well even with thorough fermentation. It's the combination of crunch and refreshing acidity (thank you, lactobacilli) that I really love about kimchi. Don't forget that as a fermentation process, you can control the speed at which it ferments as well as the stage of fermentation by controlling the temperature! Some people claim that a slower fermentation process for longer is better but again, I encourage you experiment and see what you like most. If a room temperature process for a couple of days is what you like then go for it! If the kimchi is at a stage of fermentation you really like, you can keep it in the fridge to keep it that way for longer. Many Korean families have a dedicated Kimchi fridge that runs colder than a regular fridge for this purpose :p
Hi Alex, great video as always! I've been making kimchi regularly for over a year now, and I use a very similar recipe. Just a tip: instead of an airlock, try to use a jar that can be closed hermetically. You'll have to open it morning and evening to let the gasses out, but you'll get some fizziness in the cabbage, that for me is a must have.
Love channel. Small suggestion... you can manually lock the camera lens focus just onto you so at end when raising hands the camera doesn't "lens hunt". Meanwhile you're the best food channel I've found over the years on TH-cam - love it!
I just made kimchi for the 1st time too! I did it by going to the Korean grocery store and asking the shopkeeper what I needed to buy! And it must be different from household to household, because I ended up with full instructions and a shopping list that didn't look anything like I'd thought. I needed: napa cabbage, pear, carrot, radish, purple mustard greens, white onion, green onion, garlic chives, garlic, ginger, fermented shrimp, fish sauce, sea salt and pepper flakes. The method was pretty similar to this so I'll skip it, but I do want to recommend adding the garlic chives and purple mustard if you can find them! The basal stems of chive get crisp-tender and the leaves blend seamlessly into the vegetable julienne, while adding a great grassy note. The mustard stands up well to fermentation (use the whole stem) and adds the deep, minerally flavor of bitter greens, plus a fruity note of anthocyanin. I'll probably never buy kimchi again, it's so good homemade.
Speaking as a Korean, this is a pretty damn good first attempt. I don't put sugar/starch in my cabbage kimchi (though it does speed up fermentation) and use Asian pear purée. Some recipes call for a raw oyster (shudder) or dried shrimp. Like your recipe, I use fish sauce. While I do enjoy cabbage kimchi, my favorite type is "pony tail" radish or chonggak. It is just a huge hassle to prep.
Hi Alex, I'm reading Rene' Redzepi's The Noma Guide to Fermentation and I think it has some great guideline on your project as well as safety rule of thumb on fermentation stuff like these. I just started on this journey of fermentation as well and as s.o who followed since forever, I wish you best of luck. Salut!!!
She'd probably recoil in absolute horror at how I made mine. :D Regular cabbage(garden grown surplus I had to use up), worcester sauce(couldn't find fish sauce in my area), regular crushed red pepper, and skipped the shrimp(allergic). I know that what I made wasn't "real" Kimchi, but it still turned out pretty tasty.
@@cojones8518 There are thousands of kimcho recipes here in Korea, so you can find a good not including shrimps and fish sauce. Although most of them are written in Korean, not English.
@@sykessaul123 Remember in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou when George Clooney is in the store and they only had FOP, but could get Dapper Dan in a "couple weeks"? Pretty much there.
2:55 "And I know basically only one place on earth where you can learn any process immediately" - "TH-cam" So true, yet SO weird to hear seeing that your sponsor is Skillshare... 😂😅
You discovered the erupting kimchee! My grandmother sent us a jar through the US postal service from Philly to NY State back in the 60's. We got a card telling us to pick it up at the local post office. When my mother arrived she was directed to the loading dock, where a kimchee soaked box was sitting on the far end of the dock, oozing stinky goodness.
Tom Im I can just imagine the scene. Similar experience when I moved from Korea to US years ago. Someone asked me a favor to bring a heavy box for her as I used a professional moving company for moving household stuffs. When I had a delivery 3 months later, the stink was indescribable when a box was descended to pavement with brown liquid woofing out. 10 gallon can of pickled fish lid was opened from the gas it created from the fermentation. Luckily we had rain by the evening to wash off the stain and smell on the pavement.
I have had some experience with that just getting back from my Korean grocer (2 hours from home). They make fresh kimchi in jars, but I never manage to get them home without flipping one and giving me an hour's cleaning job when I get home. Especially bad on a hot summer day when I have to make a two hour stop between the store and home.
Mark Gaudry I carry a small reusable plastic container in my car for safe transportation of Kimchi jar or any potentially leaky items. I used to double bag the Kimchi jar but it creates too many plastic bag trash. I use a large reusable zipper bag with some space for expansion to prevent smell to permeate entire trunk then put the bagged Kimchi jar to the plastic container. I hope this helps.
Almost the same path as my Kimchi experience, I don't do slurry or sugar anymore, just blitz garlic, fish sauce, chile, rice wine and sesame oil(!) mix that into the cabbage/radish/leek/scallion ...I have made many variations (radish greens - yes!) and it is faster and easier and still tastes great. I knew yours would be better than the commercial just from watching. Great job! peace!
I really enjoyed this! I've been making kimchi for about 10 years and every batch is different. I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks again Alex for your videos.
Love your experimen! What you can do with old kimchi if it’s too pungent for eat raw, you can stir fry with some oil and julienned onions until soft and add a bit of sugar if it’s too sour and then finish with sesame oil and spring onions. It’s soo good! Or cooking with fresh pork belly with some rice wine or bacon and a bit of ginger juice and when it is a bit crispy add kimchi is also good. When you cook old kimchi, it’s basically umami bomb! I grew up with a variety of kimchi and dishes using kimchi as a Korean. It’s my soul food;)
When you said “there’s only one place to learn something” I instinctively started forwarding through the skill share ad I knew was coming, and had to go back when I realized there wasn’t one
What I thought I'd learn in this video: How to make Kimchi What I actually learned: There's a subgenre of YT videos where Korean people stuff their faces with absurd amounts of food while thousands of people watch. Mukbang, ladies and gentleman. Mukbang.
Wow this is another level of kimchi making video I ve ever seen and I think the fermentation method is next leveled cooking method using microorganisms just like the way to procees of miso, cheesy products etc. Oneday I want you show up some diversity of food using Kimchi . You did great work with awesome video ever lol
I'm not a kimchi eater, but I watch Alex the mad scientist in the kitchen. I prefer something similar to this but very few people know about this south east Asian pickled vegetable called " Peranakan Achar" Most veggie are blanch and pickled with spicy oil/salty/slightly sweet/ all at once, mixed with crush peanuts, it definitely has crunch.
i learned to make kimchi by watching this south korean house husband show with this dude Moon Seyoon. he must be the most wholesome guy you will ever see on any show. anyway, he makes kimchi by the mega tub/basin full for his wife and kids. made me want to learn how to make it.
Have you tried messing with the type of jar? A lot of really old school kimchi is made in stoneware or stone crocks that breathe a bit. (plus the heavy lids reduce the odds of kimchi gunk flying around in your kitchen.)
Gotta say, kimchi is the perfect dish to learn because of the number of varieties there are out there. Loved the vid, kimchi looks good haha. I learned from my mom, haven't made any all on my own yet, but one day maybe. My grandma in Korean has a 3 year fermented one. Omg is it wow, it is sooooo gooooddd, but also the fermentedness is very strong so there's a chance people won't like it. Gotta eat the old kimchi with pork belly
Kudos Alex as always.
As a Korean, I do appreciate someone having a go at our food, and I do love your more scientific engineer mind at work!!
A few things you may find out about the kimchi making and (what's even better) eating experience.
I am sure you have found some of the following info, but I add anyway. :)
1. Traditionally, families make the whole cabbage kimchi and store them as whole, cut into bite-sizes just before serving.
- They seem to age better, and give the best flavor profile that most Koreans do prefer.
- Pre-cut kimch is usually made at restaurants and diners. They ferment quicker and thus product cycle is short for them.
2. Everyone has a preferred state of fermentation.
- By now, you will have noticed that the shorter the fermentation, the structure of cabbage is better-maintained.
- The wilting of cabbage begins as soon as you use the brine (for whole cabbage, we use dry-brine, FYI), and as it ferments further, the cabbage usually loses that aldente-like bite and becomes softer.
- Some people do prefer the early stage fermentation with its more fresh vibe, and there are others who prefer them over-fermented.
- For cooking recipes with Kimchi, those over-fermented ones are the best. We put them in Kimchi-jjigae (stew-like kimchi dish), or to put in dumplings as one of the ingredients, etc.
- BTW, most Korean families have a dedicated kimchi-refrigerator where they keep their kimchi at their preferred fermentation state.
- Oh, and 99% of Koreans will tell you instant rameon noodles (Korean ones) should be accompanied by Kimchi!! :)
3. Kimchi is a food classification, rather than a specific recipe. and cabbage kimchi is the most common one.
(This of pasta as classification and spaghetti as one of the best-known ones)
- Many different vegetables can be turned into Kimchi with each offering a unique flavor
- My you-must-try-this recommendation is one made with cucumber, called 오이소박이 (o-yi-so-bak-i). With this one, you want very light fermentation as cucumber wilts too much later on. Seriously, please do try one (not even on camera, bur for yourself!)
Anyways, I rambled on so much as I am quite passionate about food as well, and was so excited to see you making kimchi on your own.
Cheers!!!
Yes! Came to say basically the same things. I lived in Korea for 5 years. Thousands of kinds of kimchi!!
I live in Korea now and some of the things you said are new to me. By your explanation I think I like the kimchi with a short fermentation the best. Oh and I love 오이소박이, I think it’s even more refreshing than the short fermentation style kimchi and it has a little sweetness to it that I like.
I love this comment! You're so knowledgable and thorough. This was awesome to read, thank you!
Wow ... loads of info in your comment. Thanks!
So would that mean 'kimchi' is sorta like saying 'pickled' or 'fermented' food?
Alex: "I know basically only one place on Earth where you can any process immediately."
Me: "Skillsh-"
Alex: "TH-cam."
Me: "Oh right, that one."
Haha exact same thoughts!
That was one hella of a segway and he missed it,😂
5 mins later
Alex: our sponsor SkillShare
he did said immediately, we all know we can't afford skillshare.
He literally said that as I was reading your comment
It's awesome to see you try to reverse-engineer the recipe from what you bought. More of these please, as you said it's a great way to show the principles behind those results !
Well said my man
It is not really reverse engineering since he watched at least one youtube tutorial on how to make kimchi by maangchi
Now he should try to reverse-engineer a recipe from a food sample he tasted while blindfolded.
Alex: "This is a bad idea"
me: "Yes that is a bad idea"
Alex: *does it*
Alex: "that was a bad idea"
me: ........
"let's never do this again"
Lol
@@CatatonicImperfect Alex: *does it again*
"Yes, that is a bad idea. DO IT!!!"
lmaoooo i even screamed "DONT DO IT" at the screen
I tried making kimchi without a recipe and ended up with a lemon meringue pie.
HAHAHAHAHA!!!! DUDE!!! Best comment in the history of TH-cam!!!
Easily confused with a Yellow-billed magpie
Same thing happened when I tried to have a baby.
nice one! LOL
ahhahahahah
When you mentioned YT I immediately thought Maangchi.
And then he watched her lol
She’s amazing isn’t she.
Yes! Me too 😂👍
Thanks to her i cooked soooo much more during quarantine
my korean mum i never had
İf you don't know where are you going, you won't know if you've arrived.
Alex the French Cook
October, 2019
"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where -"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
"No I don't know where I'm going
But I sure know where I've been
[. .]
Though I keep searchin' for an answer
I never seem to find what I'm lookin' for"
Honestly, some solid life thoughts there.
@@recoil53 I may be mistaken but I do believe this is a song and that I like this song ^_^
@@RedVelvetRabbit White Snake "Here I Go Again"
Again such great camera/editing work, those slow zoom ins and outs and you're not even operating the camera also the cuts it's all so seamless and spectacular
Alex: watches TH-cam
Me: watches Alex watch TH-cam
Also me: "Wonder if someone is watching me watch Alex watch TH-cam..."
* looks over shoulder nervously *
TH-cam comments on your TH-cam comment about watching Alex watch TH-cam on TH-cam
xD
Unfunny
I watch your comment on TH-cam on how you watch Alex on TH-cam watching TH-cam, TH-camCEPTION!!! :-)
@@fbs753 I disagree, no offense :-)
one word: Maangchi
I use her recipe to make a huge batch of kimchi every year. It turns out magical every time!
Maaaaaaaangchi!! Alex, you should give her credit! It’s terrible to make her second fiddle to a random mukbang ☹️
I watch her for a while until in 1 video she made a trio-color sandwich, introduced her puppy by grabbing the puppy in front of camera, then taste the sandwich with the same unwashed hand, then I'm done.
world citizen G it’s just a puppy... literally it’s not that serious
@@16firework33 a puppy goes thru other things on the ground, we all need to wash our hands before eating with bare hands
11:22 I was thinking, "someone tell that man to put that jar on a tray!" That's a mistake you only make once or twice.
David Elligott only once!
As soon as i saw him put ALL THAT KIMCHI in that jar I immediately thought "OH BOY, THE BEGINNER'S MISTAKE!" hahahaha I also got kimchi juice all over my cabinet the first time I made it, never again!
Same here, I have made kimchi a few times, and I knew it was going to make a mess. Same goes for buying in jars, open it over the sink, or it will make a mess.
I really like the sense of quietness in your workspace that you get in this video but not really in any of the others. It's really relaxing
Now make Maangchi's recipe and compare them to yours without the recipe. Store bought kimchi is not the best kimchi.
Gabe Baron was going to comment this. I was watching most of this wondering what the heck is he doing? Has he never watched Maangchi?!
@@molliejones4303 he is actually watching her easy kimchi video in this one.
Yeah, stupid 🙄
Oh man. Store bought kimchi is usually bad, compare with homemade. Maangchi recipe is my fav on TH-cam and it could be turn vegan without problem.
is this not Maangchi's easy recipe?
The quality of your videos is actually insane, the sound is so crisp and you get some really nice shots. Each one is like a short film in itself
"Ugh, there's kimchi juice _everywhere!"_ This is why my Fermentation Station is on a baking sheet - helps with the cleanup in case of overflow.
Choo choo!
Shout out to Maangchi! She taught me basically everything I know about Korean cooking.
things I have learned so far whilst trying to make kimchi:
-go easy on the ginger or it will dominate when kimchi gets older
-using washed hands yields a different taste and more fermentation than when using gloves all the way
-same goes for overwashing the veggies, salt is there to kill the bad stuff
-more apples/pears less plain sugar makes for a more complex taste
New to the channel and just want to say how much I appreciate the 'sponsor timer' that runs on the bottom of the screen, it stops my brain from immediately trying to skip to the end of the segment by setting a concrete expectation of time.
Great video! You hit the right idea when you said "it's more important to learn the principle than to learn ratios". Nice to learn with someone who is also learning.
Alex: drink the salty cabbage water
Me: why the hell did he do that😂😂😂
SCIENCE
3:54 *actual footage of Alex’s soul leaving his body in horror*
Me toooooooo
It's a geoduck.
idk I didn't see the little ghost thingy come out of his mouth like in anime
This was so exciting! There are a thousand different types of kimchi, I think it's really cool that non-koreans are adding to the kimchi repertoire!
I made kimchi a year ago and I loved it! This has just convinced me that it’s time to make more! I also add asian pear to mine, Alex. Great video! ❤️
My mom does that. I think the pear is the substitute for sugar for the bacteria to break down. Without sugar it probably wouldn't be good
Mangchi is always a great resource for any Korean related food dishes. Its good you found her youtubes....so many different types of kimchi as well.
2nd step for reverse engineering recipe - understanding principle.
starch - add sweetness, increase bacteria activity, provide texture to brine. more starch, faster fermentation.
fish sauce & fermented shrimp - for protein and 'umami'. Different protein source is possible; fermented fish, anchovy, clam, oyster, or even beef.
Pour avoir vécu en Corée et avoir mangé pas mal de kimchi, je dois dire que ta façon de faire est "on point" ! Mais il manque un petit ingredient qui est je pense essentiel dans la fermentation : fermented salted shrimps. Certains coréens mettent aussi des huître ou encore de la poire asiatique, à tester peut être ;)
"I'm gonna get my hands on the super legit stuff" ... proceeds to grab processed kimchi prepackaged in a bag.
And fatally expired to get a best result
Павел Олейников “Fatally?” But did he die??
@@albertledesma5173 We won't know until next week
That made me laugh too!!
@@paveloleynikov4715 I do not think that word means what you think it means.
Been making kimchi for about 10 years now. Really enjoyed this video. Its more about understanding the process than a recipe. Thank you
He’s actually addicting to watch. So damn interesting. Pas mal Alex. Continue tes vidéos.
It's like peeling an onion.
You deserve a lot more subscribers... the union between cooking and engineering is so beautiful!
I’m only in at 4:03 and I had to pause because I am HOWLING! 😂😂😂 God, Alex, your expressions are THE BEST! Okay, continue...
Alex, you're in inspiration, I literally just scheduled a meeting with a chef at a restaurant in town, not for a job, but just for questions about how to make white wine reduction sauce, I've been trying to think about how to make it off the top of my head, which is super hard, and I need to know why it tastes properly,
You've introduced me to this cooking lifestyle which I didn't know I'd like so much until you showed me how. Thanks man, and I really appreciate all you do
My wife is Korean, eating Kimchi has completely saved my gut bacteria.
I LOVE Korean culture and have so much to learn from it.
Never thought you'd make kimchi it was so fun to watch as a Korean. And also recipe of kimchi differ house to house so it means you can make your own recipe and call it a kimchi.
Everything you need in order how to learn to cook Korean food:
Maangchi
That's it.
True ❤❤❤ I always felt awkward about using green cabbage instead of napa ('cause it's absurdly expensive here) but seeing Maangchi's vid about emergency kimchi when she was in Mexico (where she also uses green cabbage and a local variety of chili flakes) gave me enough confidence to do it and not feeling ashamed of calling it kimchi even if it wasn't made in the most traditional way! She's an inspiration!
yaasssssssss
Maangchi is the Queen.
Gaby Martínez My mom used to make kimchi with white (maybe green) cabbage because they didnt sell nappa cabbage in Germany when i was little. It was pretty good too as far as I remember. But when you tell this story to people in Korea, they all go “aww poor you.”
Lol Wtf. I said it was still good.
@@gabtroublemaker Kimchi is made with tons of different vegetables. The kind that uses Napa cabbage is just the most popular one. So don't feel bad about using a different type of cabbage, or not using any kind of cabbage at all! It will still be kimchi.
I grew up with all kinds of fermented pickles. Your experience is typical. Real pickles continue to ferment and become stronger in flavor. Everyone has a range of ideal fermentation, some like the younger stages of pickles, some have a taste for the really old, very fermented flavor. That is where I am, some friends will give me their pickles after they have become too strong for them. There is nothing that matches the taste of home made pickles. Glad you explored this area of cuisine. 👍
I agree. One of my favorite pickles is the Kosher half dill. But when I get too big a jar and it sits too long I get regular Kosher dills. My son likes very fresh cucumber kimchi. I like it just a couple days older. Much more than that ...
This sounds like it should be a cooperative with Brad Leone from Bon appetit !
There's nothing more annoying on TH-cam than Brad stans
kengo05 it’s like a hybridized gourmet makes and it’s alive hosted by Alex, French Guy Cooking
Man! I've been around since the time alex had under 50k subs. You killin it
Alex: I know a place that you can learn things instantly. *TH-cam!!*
Also Alex:This video is sponsored by *Skillshare*
I guess he did an oopsie
@@Don_Giovanni hahaha I think so
Lol i saw you in a kraut video. I think we have lots of internet in comon. 😂
There's only one channel to follow to make kimchi - Maangchi 😄
Kimchi’s are meant to age. The older ones are preferred for making kimchi jigae, the hot pot stew (:
oh god a reverse smiley, you just sinned
@@fizzle_exe (:)
You might try using shio koji (Japanese seasoning which is also vegan) instead of fish sauce. Koji is the mold used to make miso and sake. It is said to enhance the umami flavor. I use it when I make Japanese style pickled cabbage.
How in the hell did you skip Brad's video? Brad is THE fermentation guy.
MJF because sadly his kimchi was bad and brown lol he knew most of the steps- but failed in the execution (brad)
competition ;)
I love Brad but Maangchi is the Korean authority on youtube.
I was looking for this comment!
Should have looked at Korean Englishman's Kimchi with 김수미!
Alex! you were so close to the greatest video you could watch! Brad making kimchi on it's alive is the perfect video!
Hi Alex, I'm a Korean and I thought it would be great if you could try out "Baek Kimchi" or "Dongchimi" which are white kimchis. They are more traditional than standard red kimchi. The taste is much cleaner and easier to approach for foreigners. Loving your videos!
It's easiest to find baechu kimchi outside of Korea. Actually, it's hard to find anything other than spicy baechu kimchi, unless you happen to live somewhere kimchi has become popular or a city with a large Korean population.
Yo Alex its true german here. Made my 11th batch and white kimchi is eaaaaasy (the kids love it!)
Theatre of Itches please tell me how to make yours.
@@kinimsmith2605 i pretty much never do the same twice! But cubing radishes (1 tbsp Salt per big radish) and mixong it with garlic, ginger and the veggies at Hand in a jar has to be the simplest so far. With a lot of carrots it gets very sweetish.
I had recently seen a video on TH-cam of a kimchi master. I am devastated I have not had a chance try her kimchi first-hand.
Just her passion of how she speaks it......
I understand now......
nobody:
alex: "I Made Kimchi Without a Recipe"
also alex: *WATCHES ALL TUTORIALS AND LOOKS AT ALL INGREDIENTS OMEGA CX*
yeah i was a little confused when he looked at the list of ingredients for store-bought, but he kinda lost me when he literally watched recipe videos online. Even if he didn't follow the recipes, he still got a lot of information from them :/
still a cool video but i'd like to see a more blind attempt at something
Jason Scott late response but he wasn’t trying to make this a challenge video, he just wanted to specify that he wanted to learn kimchi technique, not just blindly following a kimchi recipe
As someone who has done fermentation myself I was not surprised that Alex's tasted better than the store product. He was able to make it as a small batch and take his time with ingredients and process. Industrially fermented food has to be prepared in large batches with simplified methods that a machine can handle. If you like fermented foods try making your own; it's worth the effort.
I was so happy when I saw Maangchi's video make an appearance! Love her!
So fun to much someone with 0 experience in Korean food make kimchi! All families have different kimchi recipes passed down in the family and they all taste different. Now you can too !
Also the fermentation process/ storage is so difficult and important that we use 'kimchi fridges'!
Love to try your kimchi!
Alex calls his NaCl “basic salt”
*Angry scientist noise*
*NERD*
if you actually call salt "sodium chloride" in everyday life, i dont even know what to say.
Wait but salt is 7 on the pH scale, it is basic
@@kappablanca5192 no it's neutral
제 주변은 저렇게 안만들긴 하는데 새로운 방법으로 만드는 것 보니까 너무 재밌어요. 심지어 완성된 김치가 엄청 맛나보여요!아삭아삭
You don't have to use nappa cabbage either, you can use "European" or american cabbage and the result is very similar. A few years ago I found myself with 10 heads of cabbage given to me for free! and I didn't want to make sauerkraut so I made kimchi with it and it's great too. Maybe if you go to a farmer's market you can get cabbage for next to nothing.
Also, I use an airlock, I could have told you it would spill everywhere :) If you use fermented shrimp in your recipe, the fermentation will be even more violent ;)
Finally, you should give a shoutout to maangchi, she's great. If you ever go back to N.Y. you should to a collab together... choppu! choppu!
I am impressed on your kimchi making. I am Korean and i have never made kimchi myself all my life. Just discovered your channel. Really enjoying. Its makes me motivated to cook more at home.
2:55 I really expected the Skillshare placement there :D
As a Korean I really enjoyed watching your journey of discovery that this video was. I highly encourage you try the overall method on whatever else you think it could work on (and would love to hear of any attempts/experiments) and I also encourage you try experimenting with other things to throw in to the mix as seasoning. There's even bodies that recognise and go over the different varieties of kimchi! Personally I like my kimchi fermented fairly well and enjoy the white-stem portions the most as they still hold up well even with thorough fermentation. It's the combination of crunch and refreshing acidity (thank you, lactobacilli) that I really love about kimchi.
Don't forget that as a fermentation process, you can control the speed at which it ferments as well as the stage of fermentation by controlling the temperature! Some people claim that a slower fermentation process for longer is better but again, I encourage you experiment and see what you like most. If a room temperature process for a couple of days is what you like then go for it! If the kimchi is at a stage of fermentation you really like, you can keep it in the fridge to keep it that way for longer. Many Korean families have a dedicated Kimchi fridge that runs colder than a regular fridge for this purpose :p
Yes!!! Maangchi!!!! She is the authority on all Korean food (in my opinion lol)
We’ve been enjoying your expertise and bright personality immensely. Looking forward to more. Kimchi is Uber healthy
When fermenting, kids, remember: keep room for the gases and excess liquid. The volume is gonna grow.
Hi Alex, great video as always! I've been making kimchi regularly for over a year now, and I use a very similar recipe. Just a tip: instead of an airlock, try to use a jar that can be closed hermetically. You'll have to open it morning and evening to let the gasses out, but you'll get some fizziness in the cabbage, that for me is a must have.
This one was almost Life of Boris cooking. Also, may I suggest Maanchi's doenjang video (fermented korean soy paste).
Yea, I think Svetlana would be helpful here)
A NU CHEEKI BREEKI IV DAMKE
Love channel. Small suggestion... you can manually lock the camera lens focus just onto you so at end when raising hands the camera doesn't "lens hunt". Meanwhile you're the best food channel I've found over the years on TH-cam - love it!
TBH, I think it makes the "mad scientist log" vibe complete.
9:13 This is how we all should pronounce "periodically"!
Zafer Ahmed omg! You are so spot on “periodickoly”
periodiculous
pear dickley
I encouRAGE everyone to do so too 😏
I just made kimchi for the 1st time too! I did it by going to the Korean grocery store and asking the shopkeeper what I needed to buy! And it must be different from household to household, because I ended up with full instructions and a shopping list that didn't look anything like I'd thought. I needed: napa cabbage, pear, carrot, radish, purple mustard greens, white onion, green onion, garlic chives, garlic, ginger, fermented shrimp, fish sauce, sea salt and pepper flakes. The method was pretty similar to this so I'll skip it, but I do want to recommend adding the garlic chives and purple mustard if you can find them! The basal stems of chive get crisp-tender and the leaves blend seamlessly into the vegetable julienne, while adding a great grassy note. The mustard stands up well to fermentation (use the whole stem) and adds the deep, minerally flavor of bitter greens, plus a fruity note of anthocyanin. I'll probably never buy kimchi again, it's so good homemade.
Speaking as a Korean, this is a pretty damn good first attempt. I don't put sugar/starch in my cabbage kimchi (though it does speed up fermentation) and use Asian pear purée. Some recipes call for a raw oyster (shudder) or dried shrimp. Like your recipe, I use fish sauce.
While I do enjoy cabbage kimchi, my favorite type is "pony tail" radish or chonggak. It is just a huge hassle to prep.
Hi Alex, I'm reading Rene' Redzepi's The Noma Guide to Fermentation and I think it has some great guideline on your project as well as safety rule of thumb on fermentation stuff like these. I just started on this journey of fermentation as well and as s.o who followed since forever, I wish you best of luck. Salut!!!
I have a Korean woman sitting next to me going no, no, no.
"stop it, you are killing it".
She'd probably recoil in absolute horror at how I made mine. :D
Regular cabbage(garden grown surplus I had to use up), worcester sauce(couldn't find fish sauce in my area), regular crushed red pepper, and skipped the shrimp(allergic). I know that what I made wasn't "real" Kimchi, but it still turned out pretty tasty.
@@cojones8518 There are thousands of kimcho recipes here in Korea, so you can find a good not including shrimps and fish sauce. Although most of them are written in Korean, not English.
@@cojones8518 Where do you live where you couldn't find fish sauce?
@@sykessaul123 Remember in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou when George Clooney is in the store and they only had FOP, but could get Dapper Dan in a "couple weeks"? Pretty much there.
So many thumbs up for teaching the process of learning a recipe. I go through this all the time and love it so much
2:55 "And I know basically only one place on earth where you can learn any process immediately"
- "TH-cam"
So true, yet SO weird to hear seeing that your sponsor is Skillshare... 😂😅
I was sitting here waiting for an event to start refreshing YT just hoping that Alex's video would pop.
Excellent timing! Thank you, sir!!
Alex: *Throws book away for dramatic purposes*
"Actually... I'm gonna need this"
Me: great joke *laughs*
I just discovered your channel. I love your method of explaining and cooking. You have a great, dry sense of humour too.
You can start to hear some london-ish english in Alex's voice :D
You discovered the erupting kimchee! My grandmother sent us a jar through the US postal service from Philly to NY State back in the 60's. We got a card telling us to pick it up at the local post office. When my mother arrived she was directed to the loading dock, where a kimchee soaked box was sitting on the far end of the dock, oozing stinky goodness.
Tom Im I can just imagine the scene. Similar experience when I moved from Korea to US years ago. Someone asked me a favor to bring a heavy box for her as I used a professional moving company for moving household stuffs.
When I had a delivery 3 months later, the stink was indescribable when a box was descended to pavement with brown liquid woofing out. 10 gallon can of pickled fish lid was opened from the gas it created from the fermentation. Luckily we had rain by the evening to wash off the stain and smell on the pavement.
Tom Im Glad to see a fellow Korean in this channel.
I have had some experience with that just getting back from my Korean grocer (2 hours from home). They make fresh kimchi in jars, but I never manage to get them home without flipping one and giving me an hour's cleaning job when I get home. Especially bad on a hot summer day when I have to make a two hour stop between the store and home.
Mark Gaudry I carry a small reusable plastic container in my car for safe transportation of Kimchi jar or any potentially leaky items.
I used to double bag the Kimchi jar but it creates too many plastic bag trash. I use a large reusable zipper bag with some space for expansion to prevent smell to permeate entire trunk then put the bagged Kimchi jar to the plastic container.
I hope this helps.
Reminds me of the beer lol he’s like Brad fermenting stuff. Emmy made in Japan!!!!
haha Brad fermenting stuff exactly love the reference
My YT Recommendations-brad fermenting stuff and emmymadeinjapan making kimchi
GG algorithm 😆
I was just planning on making Kimchi today! Just bought some raw ingredients... You read my mind, perfect timing Alex Thank You!
Ahahha Maangchi's channel ^^ bon choix pour les recettes coréennes
I'm just about to try to make kimchi as my husband loves it on everything so this is great timing and content. Thank you!
I'm a korean. I don't know how to make kimchi. What Alex just made looks SOOOO LEGIT.
Now it's my time to learn I guess :3
the editing and the music on this episode were just amazing! Great Job :)
'Smells cavey' lol, I think the word you're looking for is musty
Almost the same path as my Kimchi experience, I don't do slurry or sugar anymore, just blitz garlic, fish sauce, chile, rice wine and sesame oil(!) mix that into the cabbage/radish/leek/scallion ...I have made many variations (radish greens - yes!) and it is faster and easier and still tastes great. I knew yours would be better than the commercial just from watching. Great job! peace!
As a Korean, I facepalmed the moment he started chopping the cabbage
Joshua Kim totally haha
I really enjoyed this! I've been making kimchi for about 10 years and every batch is different. I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks again Alex for your videos.
Me: sees "Basic salt", ponders it for a second...
Not iodized salt, like kosher salt...
Love your experimen! What you can do with old kimchi if it’s too pungent for eat raw, you can stir fry with some oil and julienned onions until soft and add a bit of sugar if it’s too sour and then finish with sesame oil and spring onions. It’s soo good! Or cooking with fresh pork belly with some rice wine or bacon and a bit of ginger juice and when it is a bit crispy add kimchi is also good. When you cook old kimchi, it’s basically umami bomb! I grew up with a variety of kimchi and dishes using kimchi as a Korean. It’s my soul food;)
"Why did Alex open an incognito window to look up kimchi videos on TH-cam?"
3:43- ...
Likely to stop any other searches coming up. History might give aways future projects that haven't been announced.
Now that I know that all I can think of is someone sensually looking up kimchi recipes on TH-cam lmao
I thought I was the only one who spanks off to kimchi videos
When you said “there’s only one place to learn something” I instinctively started forwarding through the skill share ad I knew was coming, and had to go back when I realized there wasn’t one
What I thought I'd learn in this video: How to make Kimchi
What I actually learned: There's a subgenre of YT videos where Korean people stuff their faces with absurd amounts of food while thousands of people watch. Mukbang, ladies and gentleman. Mukbang.
The Kush Connoisseur where have you been?
@@stephanymariejones I've been places where nobody knows what a mukbang is. The lack of local Koreans probably help.
Wow this is another level of kimchi making video I ve ever seen and I think the fermentation method is next leveled cooking method using microorganisms just like the way to procees of miso, cheesy products etc.
Oneday I want you show up some diversity of food using Kimchi .
You did great work with awesome video ever lol
I need to see you downing wings on First We Feast!
he'll dab those sauces on his noodles instead ;)
Hell yes!!
I'm not a kimchi eater, but I watch Alex the mad scientist in the kitchen.
I prefer something similar to this but very few people know about this south east Asian pickled vegetable called " Peranakan Achar" Most veggie are blanch and pickled with spicy oil/salty/slightly sweet/ all at once, mixed with crush peanuts, it definitely has crunch.
"A lotion of pleasure" 🤣
I love your videos Alex. I need more of you in my life than one video a week!
Hi Alex, I'm Korean and if you want to learn about legit home made Kimchi recipe, hit me up. I'll share you one or two 😄
i learned to make kimchi by watching this south korean house husband show with this dude Moon Seyoon. he must be the most wholesome guy you will ever see on any show.
anyway, he makes kimchi by the mega tub/basin full for his wife and kids. made me want to learn how to make it.
Since ur at fermenting...
Make kombucha
and sauerkraut.
and miso!
And Indonesian salted egg (its pickling not ferment, but whatever) lol
And suero! (Venezuelan)
Have you tried messing with the type of jar? A lot of really old school kimchi is made in stoneware or stone crocks that breathe a bit. (plus the heavy lids reduce the odds of kimchi gunk flying around in your kitchen.)
The way you say it smells “cavey” makes me wonder if it was fermented in a traditional earthen pot.
Gotta say, kimchi is the perfect dish to learn because of the number of varieties there are out there. Loved the vid, kimchi looks good haha. I learned from my mom, haven't made any all on my own yet, but one day maybe. My grandma in Korean has a 3 year fermented one. Omg is it wow, it is sooooo gooooddd, but also the fermentedness is very strong so there's a chance people won't like it. Gotta eat the old kimchi with pork belly