“It's so addictive, just like the kimchi stew my mother would make.”

Ki Bo-bae was talking about the taste of the Olympic gold medal she won in the women’s team archery event in August this year at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Not only Ki, but for many people, kimchi stew, or kimchi jjigae (김치찌개), is one of the main dishes that reminds them of home cooking and is often associated with strong emotions and memories.

Kimchi is the most important ingredient in kimchi stew. As The New York Times described kimchi as “Korean soul food,” kimchi is an irreplaceable ingredient in Korean cuisine and culinary culture. Kimchi stew is one of the representative ways to enjoy kimchi as the main menu item, not as a typical side dish.





You can cook kimchi stew even if you're not a good cook and even if you don't have any secret method. It can be cooked relatively simply. All you need is well-ripened kimchi, pork and other ingredients, and then simmer them in a broth. You can cook the dish even outdoors when you go camping or hiking. You can also enjoy unique flavors if you add beef or seafood instead of pork.

Kimchi stew is also a popular menu item to eat when going out. In fact, you can find many restaurants known for their kimchi stew, not only in Seoul but also in many other cities. Though it gets colder in early winter, a kimchi stew can help you beat the chill.

** Ingredients
280 g (¼ head) cabbage kimchi
150 g pork (neck fillet)
13 g (1 tbsp) sesame oil
1.2 ㎏ (6 cups) stew water

2.2 g (1 tsp) ground red pepper
2 g (½ tsp) salt
150 g (⅓ cake) tofu
20 g green onion
0.3 g (⅛ tsp) ground black pepper

Seasoning:
16 g (1 tbsp) minced garlic
16 g (1 tbsp) ginger juice
15 g (1 tbsp) refined rice wine

Stew water: 1.6 ㎏ (8 cups) water
100 g radish
100 g (⅔ head) onion
20 g kelp





** Preparation
1. Remove the insides of the cabbage kimchi, and cut the kimchi into 2-centimeter long slices.
2. Clean the blood off the pork with a cotton cloth. Cut it into 2.5-centimeter by 0.2-centimeter squares, and season to taste.
3. Trim and clean the radish. Skin and cut it into 5-centimeter by 2-centimeter thick squares. Shred the onion at intervals of about 1 centimeter.
4. Clean the kelp with a damp cotton cloth.
5. Cut the tofu into cubes that are 2.5 centimeters wide, 3 centimeters long and 0.8 centimeters thick.
6. Trim and clean the green onion and cut it into diagonal 2-centimeter slices.






** Recipe
1. Put the water, radish and onion into the pot. Heat it for 8 minutes over high. When it boils, reduce the heat to medium and boil it for 20 minutes. Add the kelp to the pot. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 1 minute. Filter out the solids to make a stew broth.
2. Preheat the pot with oil. Put the pork in the pan and stir-fry it for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the cabbage kimchi and stir-fry together for another 2 minutes.
3. Pour the stew broth and ground red pepper over the fried pork and kimchi. Boil it for 5 minutes over high. Reduce the heat to medium and boil it for 30 minutes.
4. Season with salt. Add tofu, green onion, ground black pepper. Bring it to a boil.








Managed by Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
In cooperation with the Institute of Traditional Korean Food (ITKF)
Recipe from “The Beauty of Korean Food: 100 Best-Loved Recipes”
arete@korea.kr