IThe frontier of Safdarjung, which has for decades been home to migrants—both students and workers from the Northeast—in Delhi, an unseasonal September rain failed to dampen the mood at Cultured Cafe, which hosted a Korean food pop-up. Friday afternoon incident.
Whenever a Korean item was ordered, 26-year-old Ronmi Risom, or Ron, from Manipur who was at the helm of the event, full of kimchi and pickled carrots, regularly accompanied the kitchen staff to put it together. were mixed. on the side.
After the strong influence of Korean dramas and K-pop music, food—the original driver of the worldwide Korean wave—seems to be the next big cultural import in India. Although Indians are not satisfied with just eating at Korean restaurants or pop-up events, their affinity for the cuisine has inspired them to try making it at home – from small towns to big cities in India. Some even sell it. And when it comes to popular Korean food, there’s only one winner in this soft power game – the ubiquitous kimchi.
The national dish of South Korea, kimchi ranges between being a side dish and an auxiliary ingredient in many Korean dishes, but it is never traditionally eaten. It was traditionally made after the autumn harvest to increase the longevity of vegetables to ensure food during the harsh winters of the Korean Peninsula.
rooted in simplicity, a new York Times Article Told, “If you can make salad, you can make kimchi.” That’s exactly what Indians are doing.
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Kimchi in Indian Jar
Breaking down the process of making kimchi, Korean chef Lee Joo Been says that it is made by pickling the main ingredient – cabbage or another vegetable – with salt. Next, they are mixed with complementary ingredients – ginger, garlic, red chili powder, green onions, and pickled seafood. Finally, the mixture is allowed to remain in the jar or box at a low temperature.
Perhaps it’s the ease of making kimchi that allowed Ron to easily repeat the steps when he first started making it as a hobby in 2015. After watching it frequently in Korean TV shows, he watched YouTube videos and got the required content from Delhi. Ina set out on his journey to market and make kimchi. But to come up with a flavor that clicked, “it was a lot of trial and error,” he confessed.
During the COVID pandemic, while he was at home in Manipur, Ron started selling kimchi. Once back in Delhi, he started supplying his kimchi jars to the cafe, where he hosted a pop-up event.
“I make Napa Cabbage Kimchi (bachu kimchi,, the classic one, at least once every two weeks. And in each batch, I make anything between 5 to 10 kg,” he said.
For Namrata Tripathi, 30, her kimchi quest began in 2020 during the Covid lockdown, when all her “favourite Korean restaurants were closed for business in Bengaluru.”
Kimchi is now a constant in her fridge that she enjoys with most of her meals. When Napa cabbage isn’t readily available, she also makes kimchi with cucumbers.ois Kimchi) and Radish (kakkadugi kimchi).
However, both Ron and Namrata agree that kimchi is an acquired taste for Indian tastes.
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what Doing Indians love kimchi?
Indians eat a lot of fermented foods – the most common being pickles – but it took time for kimchi to take over the Indian tongue.
“I have turned my nose away at the smell of fermentation from many Indian friends,” Namrata recalled.
However, this has not affected the popularity of kimchi in India. Those who love its flavor attest to the complex flavor. “I think this spicy, sour and umami flavor makes the perfect mix,” she said.
For Nitin Gandhi, owner of Mumbai based bombuchaA company that manufactures and sells kombucha, kimchi is consistent with their brand because it is also a fermented product.
First introduced in late 2017, Gandhi says kimchi is now “one of their best sellers” across India. Although cold chain logistics prevents them from supplying to all states, it does not prevent Bombucha from processing at least 500 kg of cabbage a week to make kimchi. In a month, Bombucha takes 2,000-3,000 kg of cabbage.
“I know how many cabbages I order every week,” Gandhi laughed while sharing some of the figures.
They believe that it is the taste and texture of kimchi that strikes a chord with Indians. “We are not afraid of spice and, in fact, intentionally add it to our meals often in the form of pickles or sometimes directly as chili,” he said.
Gandhi recalls that many of his first-time customers were surprised at the taste of traditional Napa kimchi because they expected it to be hotter. “Maybe that’s why our latest version, Fire Kimchi which has ghost jolokia (known as one of the hottest in the world) added to this, has become an instant hit with the customers,” he said.
Kimchi and Parathas
Chef Ranveer Brar, who is known for his easy-to-make home recipes, recently released a video Veg Kimchi Fried Rice, This was a sign of the times—kimchi was now competing with potato curries and parathas in the Indian kitchen.
has no limits combinations To be tried with kimchi, its versatility is part of its popularity.
“It can be a condiment, an ingredient, and a side dish. There are so many simple everyday dishes where you can add a little bit of flavor and spice by adding kimchi,” said Gandhi.
So, fried rice with a dash of fermented vegetables can become kimchi fried rice. “Add kimchi to regular salty pancakes, it’s a whole new dish, add them to your sandwiches, eggs, salads, vegetables… the list goes on,” he said.
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same same but different
Kimchi is a labor of love, painstakingly made by hand. The closest equivalent to kimchi on an Indian dinner plate would probably be Pickle (Indian Pickle). However, the importance of kimchi culturally far outweighs its Indian counterpart. one is korean Kimchi Daywhich is marked on November 22, and the community activity of Koreans to make kimchi – kimjang – was registered As a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. Koreans have even made special kimchi fridges.
“There are about 200 types of kimchi according to the local produce of each region. Different flavors are embodied depending on the ingredients, the use of red chilli powder and the type of salty fish available in the region,” said Chef Lee, 42, who will be visiting New Delhi in October for a culinary competition. Hosted by the South Korean Embassy.
In his 10 years of life in India, Chow Yun has never given up on cooking the staple food that his family of four, including his four young children, eats every day.
“I usually follow the same authentic method while making kimchi in India. But sometimes, raw salt is not available, so I preserve cabbage by using refined salt. That is the only difference,” said Cho, who makes a batch of 15kg of cabbage about 3-4 times a year.
The USP of Bombucha is that their kimchi is vegetarian. Owner Gandhi says the only way their products deviate from the traditional is to complement the fish sauce with a “own recipe” made using seaweed. “At times, people want crunchy kimchi, which is offered in Chinese restaurants, made using vinegar and ketchup. But we stick to the traditional way,” he said.
Is there a universal kimchi recipe?
Chef Lee, who works at the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, explained how minor changes in the ingredients used in kimchi can affect its taste.
“An important part of making kimchi is the cauliflower and salt used for pickling. The content experience varies from country to country due to differences in climate. Depending on the salt used in the cabbage marinade, kimchi can taste bitter rather than salty. Even the use of refined salt or sea salt makes a difference.”
Washing time and moisture removal process can also determine flavor. However, these factors are not a hindrance and do not limit kimchi or Korean food culture by geographic location. It has traveled far and wide like its other cultural peers – Korean drama, pop music and films.
In a way, each element of the kimchi-making process becomes a window for achieving “flat flavor.”
“Since India is a hot country, locally sourced cabbages have higher moisture content, so they can be picked with less salt. But if it’s too bland, it’s essential to realize a similar flavor with a precise recipe considering the salinity, temperature and season when it was made,” said Chef Lee.
In Safdarjung, as the evening progressed, more and more people flocked to the dimly lit cafes to try the special Korean food menu. It looks like Ron has found the perfect kimchi recipe as he’s busy in the kitchen: “When it comes to condiments, I definitely make it spicy.”
(Edited by Neera Mazumdar)