Hyangdan returned from the jail: She bowed to Chunhyangs mother and comforted her. She went into the kitchen and put some green peppers, kimchi and soy sauce with a little cold rice and a bowl of cold water on a table... (from Chunhyang chén)

Dig up radishes and cabbage and make Kimjang kimchi. Wash the vegetables well at a brook and season them with salt. Red chili peppers, garlic, ginger, green onions with croakers, kimchim, and pickled vegetables (jangajji). / Beside a big jar, is a medium jar and a medium-sized glazed pot. (from Songs of October, Nongga wllyng ka)

Autumn vegetables harvested from their plot / Are green cabbage leaves and white radish roots. / Jars full of Kimjang kimchi at every household / Are to be served with bowls of rice during the three winter months. (from Songs of October, Tonggukseshigi)

Kimchi appears in Korean literature, such as Chunhyang chn (Tale of Chunhyang), a Korean classic, as well as in Nongga wllyng ka (The Farmers Works and Days), a song that narrates monthly ordinances of a farmer, and the October part of Tonggukseshigi (Times and Seasons of the Nation of the East), a poem about traditional customs. Kimchi, never failing to be found in literary works of Korean folk history, is the ultimate Korean taste. Even to the contemporary Korean people of this digital era, watching television through wireless phones and listening to music stored in portable MP3 players, kimchi is still a most relished food served at almost every meal. It is often the very first thing that homesick travellers yearn for during short trips abroad. Why do Korean people delight in the dish so much?

This is because the flavor of kimchi reflects the heartstrings of the Koreans. The taste is more profound than any other dish. It is comprised of pungency, sourness, saltiness, and sweetness. Harmonizing these disparate flavors, kimchi is yet still refreshing. Kimchis unique flavor is based on fermented taste and aromas coming from amino acids and organic acids made by its ingredients and various seasonings. The fermented flavor is acquired through a lengthy ripening process of vegetables, spices, and pickled seafood that are mixed together while all the animal and vegetable ingredients merge with each other during the process. Such aspects of kimchi depict the Korean culinary culture of harmony. Korean people, who have been sharing food during their ancestral rites in belief of the goodness of their domestic agricultural products, have considered eating as an act of sharing food with others as a way to experience love and togetherness. This is also shown in the word Family which means in Korean one mouth, or people who share their meals together. In recent years, slow food movement has been gaining more attention from people worldwide. The movement aims to revive a nations traditional culinary heritage against a surfeit of fast convenience food. In this respect, kimchi can be a dish that catches the appetite of people around the world with all the natural taste of its diverse ingredients: vitamin C, dietary fiber, amino acids, minerals, beneficial enzymes, and its philosophy of sharing.

Young-Sil Han
Director of Korean Food Institute
Sookmyung Womens University

Kimchi is Korea's most representative food with its rich flavor, nutritional value, and preservable property.

Korea has four distinct seasons, which have contributed to the development of a wide variety of vegetable dishes. For the cold winter season, Korean people have devised an impressive range of ways to enjoy and store vegetables. Kimchi became the most successful outcome preserving fresh vegetables over the winter.

Originally, kimchi was simply salted vege-tables. Then, around the 16th century, red chili peppers were introduced as its main seasoning. This brought about many changes. Chinese cabbage and white radishes became the main ingredients while various seasonings or spices, including pickled seafood, began to be used as stuffing. In this manner, kimchi evolved into its present form and started to give a great combination of savory taste with naturally fermented flavor and the fresh crunchiness of vegetables. The unique taste has become a major part of Korea's cultural heri-tage.

The secret of kimchi lies in fermentation. Kimchi is a natural food created by lactic acid fermentation, and it holds four times as much active lactobacillus as in yogurt.

During the process of fermentation, chemical reactions take place under the right temperature and natural surroundings. Seasonings, microorganisms, and enzymes play an important role in this ripening process.

The lactobacillus acts on the organic component of the vegetables, changing sugar into lactic acid. The lactic acid is the reason for kimchiÕs crunchy freshness and high level of vitamin B. Moreover it fights cancerous cells and suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria helping intestinal organs to aid good digestion.

1 Anti-cancer Effect
The lactobacillus produced during the fermenting process lowers acidity within the intestines, suppressing and wiping out harmful germs. Such antibacterial reaction effectively prevents colon cancer. Garlic, used as seasoning, is beneficial for preventing stomach cancer.

2 Low in Calories
As the ingredients of kimchi mainly consist of various vegetables, kimchi is low in calories and high in dietary fiber, and thus it is efficient in weight control. In addition, capsaicine contained in red chili powder activates metabolism and promotes fat burning, also helping weight control.

3 Prevent Diseases
Kimchi lowers the level of blood sugar and cholesterol with vegetable fibers, seasonings, and lactic ferments within it. This plays a positive role in preventing adulthood diseases (i.e. diabetes, heart disease, and obesity).

4 Rich Vitamins Content
Kimchi helps the body absorb essential nutrients, especially vitamin A, B, C, and enhances physiological activities.