By Honorary Reporter Myrtle Iris S. Villaraza from Philippines
Photo = Myrtle Iris S. Villaraza

Kimchi is a traditional fermented dish using a variety of vegetables and seasonings. For those unaccustomed to this spicy dish with a strong scent, it can be an acquired taste. For most Koreans, kimchi accompanies most meals.

But kimchi is not just a side dish, but also a main ingredient in many delicious dishes. The following are two ways to enjoy kimchi for both novice and veteran consumers of it.

Jumeokbap, which literally means "fist rice" in Korean, is a rice ball with stir-fried kimchi and pork filling. To make this, simply stir-fry pork and kimchi with minced garlic and add a bit of salt and sugar. Season cooked rice with salt and sesame oil, shape the rice into a ball, and add stir-fried kimchi and pork as filling. Finally, coat the rice ball with seaweed flakes.

The four photos below are a visual guide for this recipe.

The second dish (whose visual guide is the four photos below) is dubu, or tofu with stir-fried kimchi and pork. First, mix kimchi, pork, minced garlic, chopped onions, green onions and ginger in a bowl. Season with soy sauce, sugar, and sesame seeds and oil and then set aside. Fry tofu and cut into bite-size pieces. Next, stir-fry the pork and kimchi mixture and finish things off by arranging the fried tofu on a plate and topping it with stir-fried kimchi and pork.

The recipes I referred to when cooking the two aforementioned dishes included red pepper flakes or paste, so feel free to add some when cooking stir-fried kimchi and pork. Personally, however, I prefer mildly spicy food so I omitted them; the spiciness from kimchi was enough for me.

 

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.