Print

Traditional Kimchi (Pogi Kimchi) Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.6 from 110 reviews

Traditional Korean Pogi Kimchi is a classic fermented cabbage dish that offers a perfect balance of spiciness, saltiness, and umami. This recipe involves salting the Napa cabbage, preparing a flavorful seasoning paste with gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes), fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and more, then stuffing and fermenting the cabbage quarters. The result is a crunchy, pungent kimchi that is a staple in Korean cuisine and excellent for digestion and health.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

  • 1 large Napa cabbage (baechu), about 5 to 6 pounds, or 2 small (about 3 pounds each)
  • 1 cup Korean coarse sea salt (gulgeun soguem)
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 pound Korean radish (mu)
  • 1/4 large Korean pear (optional)
  • 3 – 4 scallions
  • 1 piece dasima (dried kelp), about 2 to 3 inch square (optional)

Seasonings

  • 1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour (chapssal garu)
  • 1/2 cup gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes), adjust to taste
  • 1/4 cup saeujeot (salted and fermented shrimp), roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons myulchiaekjeot (fish sauce)
  • 3 – 4 raw shrimps, about 2 ounces, finely minced or ground (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup water or dasima broth

Kitchen Tools

  • 2 large bowls or pots (7 – 8 quarts)
  • Large colander
  • Kitchen gloves
  • 3/4 – 1 gallon airtight container or jar

Instructions

  1. Quarter the cabbage: Cut the thick white part of the Napa cabbage in half lengthwise, then slowly pull apart to separate into two pieces. Repeat for each half to make quarters, avoiding cutting through the cabbage leaves fully to keep them intact.
  2. Salt the cabbage: Dissolve 1/2 cup of Korean coarse sea salt in 5 cups of water in a large bowl. Thoroughly submerge each cabbage quarter in the saltwater, one at a time, shaking off excess and transferring to another bowl. Then, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup salt generously on the thick white parts of each leaf, similar to seasoning meat. Pour the remaining saltwater over the cabbage and let it sit for 6 to 8 hours, turning the cabbages every 2 to 3 hours to ensure even salting.
  3. Rinse and drain: When the white parts of the leaves become bendable but firm, rinse thoroughly three times to remove excess salt, especially between the leaves. Drain well with cut side down.
  4. Prepare dasima broth and rice paste: If using, boil a 2-3 inch square piece of dasima in 1.5 cups water for 5 minutes, then cool. Mix glutinous rice flour with 1/2 cup water or dasima broth and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens into a thin paste. Cool the paste (about 3-4 tablespoons).
  5. Make the seasoning mixture: Combine the rice paste, gochugaru, saeujeot, fish sauce, minced shrimps (if using), minced garlic, grated ginger, and 1/2 cup water or dasima broth in a bowl. Mix well until the chili flakes dissolve and the mixture becomes pasty.
  6. Prepare vegetables: Cut Korean radish and optional pear into matchsticks. Cut scallions diagonally into 1 inch segments. Combine the radish (and pear if used) with the seasoning mix and mix well by hand. Add the scallions and mix lightly. Taste to ensure the mixture is slightly too salty, adjusting salt or fish sauce as needed. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to meld flavors.
  7. Stuff the cabbage: Trim the tough stem from each cabbage quarter, leaving enough to hold leaves together. Take one cabbage quarter and spread the radish seasoning mix on each leaf, using about one-quarter of the mixture per cabbage. Fold the leaf over toward the stem and wrap it with the outermost leaf to hold the filling in place.
  8. Pack into container: Place each stuffed cabbage quarter, cut side up, into a large airtight container or jar. If you have loose large leaves, use them to cover the top of the packed kimchi. Press down firmly to remove air pockets. Rinse bowl with 1/2 cup water or dasima broth and pour inside the container for extra seasoning. Close the lid tightly.
  9. Fermentation: Leave the kimchi at room temperature for 1 to 2 full days to allow fermentation. Duration can be adjusted depending on desired ripeness and weather. After, store kimchi in the refrigerator to slow fermentation and preserve flavor.

Notes

  • If you have large loose cabbage leaves left, use them to cover the top of the kimchi in the jar to prevent oxidation.
  • Fermentation time at room temperature varies by season and temperature; shorter time yields fresher kimchi, longer time develops deeper sourness.
  • Wearing kitchen gloves when mixing the seasoning prevents skin irritation from chili peppers.
  • Using dasima broth is optional but adds umami depth to the kimchi paste.
  • Adjust the amount of gochugaru according to preferred spiciness.

Keywords: Kimchi, Traditional kimchi, Pogi kimchi, Korean fermented cabbage, fermented vegetables, spicy kimchi, Korean recipe

Find it online: https://www.sanacooks.com/traditional-kimchi-pogi-kimchi-recipe/