Kimchi - a national dish not on the Korean New Year's offering tray

Although it is a national dish of Korea, kimchi is often absent from the ancestral altar during Tet because some of the ingredients used to make it "have a strong smell".

Korea also celebrates the traditional New Year like Vietnam and some other Asian countries. This traditional festival usually lasts for 3 days. One of the important rituals during the New Year of Koreans is to pay respect to their ancestors. The ancestral offering tray has about 20 dishes, arranged in 4-5 rows on the altar table, in order from top to bottom: rice dishes, tteokguk (rice cake soup), then meat and fish dishes, various jeon cakes (fried vegetable cakes with flour), various banchan (side dishes), and finally dessert, usually fruit and traditional kwaja cakes.

Kimchi is a world-famous Korean dish, indispensable in any Korean meal. Kimchi has a characteristic sour and spicy taste, reducing the feeling of fullness, as well as stimulating the taste buds to create deliciousness. However, kimchi is not present on the traditional New Year's Eve or Mid-Autumn Festival offerings.

Traditional Korean New Year's Eve tray. Photo: Korea.net — Traditional Korean New Year's Eve tray. Photo: *Korea.net*

According to chef Park Sang Kyung of Sajang BBQ restaurant in Hanoi, Korean dishes often use a lot of spices such as garlic, pepper, and red chili powder. Meanwhile, with the ancestral altar, Koreans often avoid dishes with strong odors to maintain solemnity and dignity. Instead, they will use liquid kimchi, and in some localities, white kimchi is replaced. Kimchi only appears on the altar after the ancestral altar ceremony has been completed.

Chef Park said that for Koreans, kimchi is an "indispensable" dish and "can be made with your eyes closed" because the recipe has been passed down for many generations. Mr. Park also added that in addition to cabbage kimchi, there are many other types of kimchi in Korea such as onions, cucumbers, and radishes.

When choosing ingredients, Mr. Park noted to choose fresh cabbages with green and thin leaves, removing the old outer layers, so that the sauce can be absorbed quickly. When salting, you can cut them in half or in quarters, rub salt on each leaf, using more salt on the white stem and less on the green leaves. After soaking in salt water, use a heavy wooden cutting board to press down on them for 2-5 hours, then take them out and wash them in water several times before marinating in the sauce to reduce the saltiness. When salted for enough time, the cabbage leaves will be soft, flexible, and will not break when folded in half.

The seasonings for kimchi will depend on each family's taste, usually including white radish, carrots, garlic, chili powder, onions, ginger, and chives. When salting and marinating, the cabbage should be turned upside down so that the seasoning does not fall out, thereby increasing the richness of the finished product. Kimchi can be left at room temperature for 1-2 days to ferment quickly or stored in the refrigerator for a week.

Kimchi is a popular side dish in Korea and is served unlimitedly in restaurants to enhance the flavor of diners' meals.

Tam Anh

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