Guest Blog from The Kimchi Queen

Monday, December 30, 2013

Hi G&G Community! I'm Hannah, founder of Simply Seoul Kitchen. I am so excited to be partnering with G&G to bring kimchi into your kitchen with your G&G Meal Kits next week!

Kimchi is deeply embedded into the heart and soul of every true Korean. It is akin to a Korean version of sauerkraut or chow chow. It is often made up of napa cabbage that is pickled and fermented. Although there are over 280 varieties of kimchi recorded, the most common ones are a little spicy, sweet with an acidic finish. One jar of naturally fermented kimchi houses millions of probiotics. Probiotics are healthy microflora that keep the digestive system in balance. They cure digestive ailments and are also used to treat diseases.

I honestly cannot give an accurate account of how and when my deep love for it began; it’s like asking an Italian when they fell for pasta. It was loyally present at all meals in every stage of my life. I remember watching my grandmother (who was quite an accomplished cook) prepare special meals for me. She would artfully place each morsel of food in its perfect place. Since she passed over 10 years ago, it has been very challenging for me to find that perfect, homemade kimchi. The commercial kimchi I found on supermarket shelves just didn’t do it for me. I wanted something authentic, without preservatives.

After While pursuing the dream for some years of becoming a chef in a few farm to table restaurants, I had a stark revelation of what I wanted to be when I grow up...a Kimchi Queen. I pulled out all my old notes from previous kimchi experiments and off I went with a house full of kimchi jars fermenting at various stages. My grandmother’s recipe gave me inspiration, and I used it as a basis to build my very own recipe. Though I had inspiration from my grandmother's recipe, it had to be tweaked to fit a larger scale production. This resulted in the birth of, Simply Seoul Kitchen was birthed. It is authentic, homemade kimchi made with the finest ingredients.

Kimchi instantly transforms every meal or snack. It can be used very conservatively for just a touch a flavor, or featured as the star of any dish. In order to benefit from the health benefits of kimchi, it is best to eat it raw. It is most commonly used as a side dish or topping, like the Garnish & Gather meal kit featuring kimchi this week. A little bit of kimchi on top of eggs, tacos, sandwiches, BBQ, wraps, rice, stir fry, potatoes or almost anything will take a meal to the next level in flavor. Kimchi can seem intimidating to a novice, but it actually can just be simply be a side or topping for any meal.

Kimchi caramelizes when cooked. It gets sweet and full of umami (a pleasant, savory taste). Sautéed kimchi with sesame oil and rice is one of my favorite meals! I also love to make sweet potato and kimchi hash with a poached egg on top. Those flavors catalyze and transform into amazing-ness!!

I am so excited to share Simply Seoul with you. You can bring a touch of my grandmother’s flavor to your table with the Garnish & Gather meal kit for January 6th, or find it in their Local Provisions Shop!