Are you afraid to try pungent food? Do you avoid garlic, afraid that its fragrance will cling to you like an unwelcome perfume? If so, stop reading this post. If you say “bring it on!” to smelly food and you embrace tastebud adventure, stay with us.
We think good things sometimes come in funky packages, like a really stinky but delicious cheese or pungent fish sauce. Kimchi, a Korean side dish, is this type of funky package: unmistakably redolent of garlic and the sharp sourness of fermentation, spicy and crunchy. It can be made from different vegetables, but is most commonly based on cabbage (baechu) or radish (kkakdugi). It’s crunchy, salty, and spicy.
As a side dish, it naturally pairs well with Korean food, but it is also tasty in scrambled eggs or atop a burger. A word of caution: is you decide to try it, even if you really like it, pace yourself. Eat too much and you may pay with a sour stomach later. Another tip: when you buy it, be sure it’s contained in a closed plastic bag before it’s put in your grocery bag to take home. Trust us – you do not want kimchi spilling in your car. It would be very laborious to try to eradicate the odor from fabric. In that vein, keep it in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge, too – you won’t enjoy your milk tasting like kimchi.
We made burger wraps with kimchi for dinner. Layer the kimchi on the wrap, place the cooked burger on top, smother with shredded cheese, melt the cheese in a broiler, wrap into a nice shape, and eat. The kimchi adds a spicy, tangy touch.
If you’re looking to “spice up” your food life, try adding kimchi. When you bite into that grass-fed burger with the probiotic-laden kimchi on it, you’ll be glad you did.
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