Aeri's Kitchen

Bachelor radish kimchi is a very popular summer kimchi in Korea. You might wonder why the name is “bachelor kimchi.” In the old days, boys who did not marry had to wear a special haircut that was styled like the shape of this radish. So Koreans called this radish, “bachelor radish,” and the kimchi made with it is called “bachelor radish kimchi.” With well fermented bachelor kimchi, you can make different kinds of korean dishes. Of course, just eating the kimchi with rice also taste awesome.

Yield: 1½ Gallons

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• ChonGak (총각) = Bachelor
• CheoNyeo (처녀) = Bachelorette

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This kimchi bibim guksu is a slightly spicy noodle dish with kimchi that is served cold. It can be good for any time of year, but it is especially good for your lunch menu during a hot summer day because it only takes few minutes to make, and the noodles are cool. Well fermented kimchi, along with the thin noodles and special sauce, tastes great. If you don’t know what to eat or want an easy meal to cook, why don’t you try this recipe instead of eating instant noodles? That’s what I did.

Yield: 2 Servings

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• Pal (팔) = Arm
• DaRi (다리) = Leg

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Have you ever had leftover dumpling filling? Recently, I made a large batch of garlic chive dumplings. Those delicious dumplings are now steamed and waiting in the freezer to be eaten later. I feel very satisfied having frozen dumplings on hand, since they are convenient for quick meals later. Anyway, for that batch, I had some leftover filling, and with it, I made this recipe. Maybe you had the same experience before and did not know what to do with it; this is a good solution for that problem. Simply mixing the dumpling filling with a few other ingredients turns into a very tasty snack or appetizer.

Yield: 15 Patties

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• Sok (속) = Inside
• Bak (밖) = Outside

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In Korean cuisine there are many different kinds of kimchi. One of the types or styles of kimchi is called water kimchi (MulGimChi). One of the most common types of water kimchi is called DongChiMi (동치미). This is usually made with winter radishes, and it doesn’t need any red pepper powder or fish sauce, which are common ingredients in other kimchi. So this can be good kimchi for vegetarians or people who cannot eat spicy food. Try this cool and delicious kimchi someday.

Yield: 2 Gallons

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• Mul (물) = Water
• Bul (불) = Fire

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Perilla kimchi (깻잎 김치) is another simple kimchi recipe. It does not need to soak in a brine like normal kimchi and it does not need very long to ferment. So even though it called kimchi, it is almost like a daily side dish. Perilla has a unique taste, and it is thought to be good for health. This kimchi tastes great both when it is fresh and fermented. If you love kimchi and want something different, why don’t you try this someday?

Yield: 6½ Dozen Leaves

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• Perilla Leaves (깻잎) = GgatNip
• JeopSi (접시) = Plate

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