Welcome to "Kimchi Knowledge" !
Hi everyone!
The Knowledge Object that I chose to focus on is Kimchi, in particular 'Baechu Kimchi'. 'Baechu Kimchi' is one type of the 187 different varieties of Kimchi but it is the most important type because it's the type that is most well known around the world. Baechu Kimchi and the other 186 types of Kimchi is the national food of S. Korea. Kimchi in general is commonly known as the vegetable side dish that Koreans eat with every meal (breakfast, lunch & Dinner). I chose to focus on this knowledge object because I wanted to find out more about the national food of the country which I have lived in for the past year. Not only was I interested in finding more information on Kimchi but I was also interested in finding out how Kimchi is viewed in the United States specifically to the people residing in Albany. Throughout this blog you will find multiple 'professional Knowledge' sources and 'local Knowledge' sources on Baechu Kimchi and on the other types of Kimchi. I hope that you will not only gain new knowledge about Kimchi but also enjoy what you read. Thank you and have fun looking around on my blog!
--Ami Jordan--
Background Knowledge
& Kimchis Origins
Here is some background knowledge on Kimchi that will help you find the topics you are more interested in on my blog. Each of these topics will be further discussed on the individual pages that you see on the upper right side of this screen. Please click on those pages in order to get more in dept information on the topics I discuss in the the Background Knowledge section.
Background Knowledge
Kimchi is a traditional & National Korean side dish that originates from the Korean Peninsula. According to The Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul, there are about 187 different types of Kimchi but all of them are equally made up of vegetables and a variety of seasonings. In S. Korea Kimchi is not only eaten with every meal as a side dish but it is also sometimes eaten as the main dish or as a snack. These snacks and meals would be considered to most Americans as Bizarre food. Some of these bizarre foods include Kimchi burgers, Kimchi Pancakes, Kimchi chips and Kimchi chocolate. In the United states Kimchi is either widely known as the "smelly, hot and spicy vegetable commonly eaten by the Korean people or as the extremely healthy vegetable that have multiple health benefits.
Kimchi Origins
Ancient Times
Kimchi was developed in Korea around the 7th century. The name Kimchi originated from ‘shimchae’(salting of vegetables). Even though there is no records in Korea today with the exact date of the discovery of Kimchi it was first mentioned in an ancient Korean medical book indicating that the original substance was first possibly used for medical purposes. During the 7th century (and even up until today) Kimchi was/is considered a type of medicine that could or should be consumed in order to keep the Korean people healthy and strong. There is not much living data on the original ingredients of the first Kimchi but it is universally understood that the first Kimchi was made up of mixed pickled greens, salt and alcohol and that it was first used for medical purposes and then it later became one of the main staples of food consumed by the Korean population. Kimchi became one of the main staples of the Korean population shortly after the discovery of storage technology. The Korean people considered Kimchi an amazing food at the time because after being salted it could stay completely fresh even after being stored for months on end. Being able to keep vegetables and food stored for months at a time was very critical for the Korean population in ancient times especially during long and cold winters.
Modern Times
In the past, Kimchi up until at least the 20th century was only produced and consumed by the Korean population. However in contemporary times it has become a globally recognized food and is now consumed and produced by multiple countries.
Today, Kimchi to most people in America is known as the Korean “red spicy cabbage”. However, this red spicy cabbage was not fully invented until the 18th century after two of its main ingredients, the red pepper and the cabbage (brassica) were introduced to the Korean peninsula by Japan and other foreign countries.
Listen to Dr. Koo from Binghamton University discuss the growing popularity of Kimchi in America & around the world!
Kimchi Today:
Surveys on Kimchi Knowledge at Albany University:
While I was researching materials for this project I handed out surveys to Albany students and asked them to explain their experiences and knowledge about Kimchi. Here are a list of questions I asked on these surveys to students. Have you ever heard of Kimchi? If No, could you try and guess where it comes from? Based on the picture on the survey would you try this food? If yes, could you please write everything you know about Kimchi and your experiences with it?
The answers written on these surveys greatly informed me of the knowledge the University at Albany students had about Kimchi! Surprisingly most of the students have heard of Kimchi while a few have not!
Kimchi Knowledge Surveys:
Students who have head of Kimchi:
Amy, Economics: "Yes I have heard of it but the picture is not the most appetizing photo I've seen....so maybe not try it. It comes from Korea, I saw it in New York City at a Restaurant. I know that they use it across the board in varieties."
Shauna, Liberal Arts: "Yes. It comes from Korea and Japan; I had Kimchi from my roommate in my undergrad who is from Japan but her mother is from Korea. I had it for dinner one night and my roommate tried to teach me how to cook it."
Patrick, Latin Studies: "Yes..I know it's Korean, but that's it. I don't know how I know that."
April, Education in Psychology: "It is spicy, fermented and pickled cabbage used as a condiment in Korean cuisines."
Shirley, TESOL: Yes, Kimichi is a typical Korean cuisine that is made up of marinated cabbage. It is spicy. According to Wikipedia, Kimchi is among the most healthy foods in the world."
Jack, Women Studies: "I know that it's a common Korea dish. I heard that some families own refrigerators just for the purpose of preserving Kimchi until it's fermented. It's spicy, can be eaten either raw or fried with other ingredients. I also heard that after it's gone bad a little, people can still eat it if they thoroughly wash off the spice. Tastes good. :)"
Hui Zhang, TESOL: "Yes, my Korean friend introduced it to me. It was really smelly when the first time I tried it. My Korean friend kept encouraging me to eat it, I tried it and after a few times I liked it."
Gharib, Nanoscale Science: I think It is Korean (actually i am sure) pickle. It is made of cabbage and some other vegetables I think, and it is also some spices. The Korean people like it and can be served with any meal I think"
Jim, Public Health: "Yes, I know what it is but I am not sure I would try it. I was in the Air force and many people I knew ate it. I was told that it smells and that you should cook it underground."
Nic, TESOL: Yes I had Kimchi before. The first time I tried it was during my undergrad. I became friends with a Korean guy next store to my dorm room and invited him over for thanksgiving. When he came over he brought some homemade Kimchi made by his mom and it was very delicious. Now I eat Kimchi very often!
Students who have not heard of Kimchi:
Angela, Public Health: "No, I think it maybe food and that it comes from Japan. Yes I would try it."
Casey, Political Science: "No, I have never heard of it. I would try it!! I like trying all foods!"
Alex, Religious Studies: "No, I think it's a Japanese word. It's a type of food, based on the picture above, It's eaten with chopsticks. I would try it because I like trying new food"
Tara, History: "No, It looks like lettuce and meat? tomato sauce and no I would not try it."
Mike, History: "I have never heard of it and it looks like ribs from the picture so I would say it's meat from an animal. No I will not try it."
Here is the picture I placed on the survey (it was in black and white).
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