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- Kimchi Industry Is Booming
by Dave DeWitt
It is said that Koreans have the highest per capita chile consumption in the world. Total chile production is about 200,000 tons on 326,000 acres, making South Korea the fifth largest producer of chile peppers in the world. Chile peppers utilize 35 percent of the agricultural area for vegetables, far ahead of two other crops, Chinese cabbage and garlic. The main production areas are Chungcheongbuk-do and Kyungsangbok-do provinces which are located in the central part of the country. One of the reasons Koreans consume so many chiles is a condiment called kimchi.
Kimchi is a Korean fiery foods product that few people in the west have even heard of, much less tasted. But all that is changing rapidly as the spicy, fermented condiment has been increasingly exported since the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988. American imports were worth about $300,000 in 1996, but Japan's kimchi enthusiasm produced a significant $36.6 million in imports.
Kimchi is the generic term given to a group of fermented foods combining either cabbage or radishes and chiles, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, and sometimes pickled fish or fresh seafoods. It is thought that the origin of kimchi is Chinese pickles, which were brought into Korea and changed by cooks to form several types of kimchi to suit the taste of Koreans during the Shilla (A. D. 654&endash;935) and Korea (A. D. 918-1392) dynasties. Until the Korea dynasty, the main vegetable used was the radish, but cucumber, eggplant and green onion were also used to make pickled vegetables at that time. Chile was introduced into Korea in the early 1600s, but the first record of it being included as an ingredient of kimchi was not made until 1766.
The popularity of kimchi has soared since then, with the typical South Korean eating about eight ouces per day, accounting for about 12.5 percent of the daily food intake. Traditionally made at home, where it was fermented in large ceramic pots, commercially produced kimchi now represents about one-fourth of all the kimchi consumed in the country. Factory production began in the 1960s to export kimchi products to the Korean army stationed in Vietnam, and since the 1970s, commercial production has increased by 15 to 20 percent annually. In 1996, 38.9 percent of commercial kimchi was sold to institutions and military, 56.6 percent to general consumers, and the remaining 4.5 percent was exported. Total kimchi exports were about $40 million in 1996 with more than 450 kimchi processing factories operating in South Korea.
Sources: The Korean Food Research Institute and The Pepper Encyclopedia, by Dave DeWitt (coming from William Morrow & Co. in late '98 or early '99).
Recipes
Korean Chile-Pickled Cabbage
(Kimchi)
Here is the classic Korean condiment that usually takes months to make because it is fermented in clay pots. This one takes only four or five days. Serve kimchi as an accompaniment to any stir-fried Asian dishes and to grilled or broiled meats. Fish sauce (nam pla) can be added to taste before fermentation. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.
- 1 head Chinese cabbage, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5 green or fresh red New Mexican chiles, roasted and peeled, seeds and stems removed, chopped fine
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 6 green onions, chopped (including the greens)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Water
In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the cabbage with salt, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Rinse well with cold water and drain. Return the cabbage to the bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and cover with water. Allow the mixture to pickle in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.
To serve, drain off the liquid and warm to room temperature.
Yield: About 4 cups
Heat Scale: Medium
Value of Korean Kimchi Exports (x US$1000)
Export to 1993 1994 1995 1996 Hong Kong 99 106 170 267 Japan 28,739 37,726 43,301 36,662 Libya 128 177 546 382 Netherlands 145 125 87 56 Singapore 67 141 83 77 Spain 250 297 229 56 USA 202 180 241 297 Others 4,507 5,435 6,248 1,623 Total 34,203 44,191 50,909 39,420Source: Korea Food Research Institute
