33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave #18 Kimchi and Gochujang
Fermentation, The Flavor of Time
*한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드 #18 김치와 고추장의 힘 <Korean vesrion>
https://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?mid=Focus&document_srl=4080800
In Washington Square Park, the Kimchi Taco Truck (left) and 29 different Kimchi recipes from “Bon Appétit” magazine.
“Everything I am comes from kimchi.”
-Roy Choi (Kogi, Taco Truck) -
“The flavors of Ssäm Sauce are part of Momofuku’s DNA.”
-David Chang (Momofuku)-
Korean Slow Food: Kimchi and Gochujang are deeply rooted in the traditional culinary heritage of Korea. Fermentation, a slow and patient process, is the essence of these iconic dishes. In the United States, there is a growing popularity for both showcasing Kimchi on the shelves of major supermarkets and preparing it from scratch using various recipes.
“I will not rest until every refrigerator in America has a jar of kimchi.” said Phillip Lee (Yoon-Seok Lee), a Korean graduate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University. In 2011, he began operating the Kimchi Taco Truck in Manhattan, offering Galbi Tacos, Spicy Pork Tacos, Kimchi Rice Balls, Galbi Kimchi Bibimbap, Kimchi Stir-Fry, and more. In 2012, he opened the Kimchi Grill in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights. By promoting Kimchi tirelessly from the Bronx to Queens, and Ridgewood to Valley Stream in New York, and even Jersey City in New Jersey, Phillip Lee has captivated the palates of food enthusiasts.
In May 2022, a Google search for “Where Can I Buy Kimchi in NYC” reveals that Kimchi is available not only in Korean supermarkets like H Mart but also in major supermarkets such as Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, Key Food Supermarket, Westside Market, Target Grocery, Wegmans, Katagiri Japanese Grocery, Hong Kong Supermarket, and Bangkok Center Grocery. Kimchi has already found its way into prominent supermarkets, with Key Food’s Atlantic Avenue branch even dedicating a frozen section for K-food items like dumplings, rice cakes, and pancakes.
The food magazine “Bon Appétit” recommended “Mrs. Kim’s Kimchi,” which uses beef broth, as one of the “Best Store-Bought Kimchi” in 2016. In 2018, they featured “29 Fiery Recipes to Use Up that Jar of Kimchi in Your Fridge,” presenting a variety of recipes such as Spicy Kimchi Slaw, Creamy Kimchi Dip, Quick Kimchi Pancakes, Kimchi Udon with Scallions, Oven-Roasted Kimchi Chicken, Dale Talde’s Korean Fried Chicken with Kimchi Yogurt, Ramp Kimchi, Kimchi Miso Dressing, and more.
The popularity of Kimchi and Gochujang continues to rise, and they have become essential elements of Korean cuisine, carrying with them the delightful flavor of time-honored traditions.
Praise for Kimchi
In 2014, Mama O’s Premium Kimchi’s owner, Kheedim Oh, hosted a kimchi-making workshop at Jimmy’s No. 43 in the East Village, targeting food bloggers./ “Ssäm Sauce” from Momofuku by David Chang and ‘Ssäm Sauce’ from Momofuku .
In today’s fast-paced world, it seems like all Koreans are rushing and embracing a “quickly quickly (ppalli ppalli)” mentality. Behind this obsession with speed lies the philosophy of slowness. Fermented foods like kimchi, soy sauce, doenjang (soybean paste), gochujang (red pepper paste), and jeotgal (fermented seafood) represent our “Slow Food,” embodying time and care.
The Slow Food movement, which has now spread to over 160 countries worldwide, originated in 1986 in Bra, in northern Italy, initiated by social activist Carlo Petrini. Upon hearing the news of a McDonald’s opening next to the Spanish Steps, one of Rome’s tourist attractions, Petrini launched the Slow Food movement to counter fast food. During my trip to Turin in 2007, I had a chance to visit the small village of Bra, which became the heart of the Slow Food movement.
While cheese, wine, yogurt, and beer are representative fermented foods in the West, kimchi, soy sauce, doenjang, and gochujang are Korea’s impenetrable fermented foods in the face of fast food. Kimchi, an essential part of the Korean dining table, holds a special meaning for our nation, as evidenced by the lyrics of the song “Kimchi Song” by Jeong Kwang-Tae, who sings “DokDo Is Our Land” as well.
'김치 주제가'가 담긴 정광태의 앨범(1985)
“If there were no kimchi/ What taste would our rice have?
Even if tempted by the most exquisite dishes/ Without kimchi, it feels incomplete
I can’t live without kimchi, really can’t live/ I can’t, I can’t forget you
Whether by taste or fragrance/ I can’t be without it, can I change my taste buds...”
-Jeonh Kwang-Tae, "Kimchi Song"-
“Want to live a long, healthy life? Move to South Korea.”
Jonggajip Kimchi (left), Gochujang Photo by redhonghope
In 2006, the American magazine “Health” selected kimchi as one of the world’s five healthiest foods, along with olive oil from Spain, fermented soy-based products from Japan, yogurt from Greece, and lentils from India. Kimchi is rich in probiotics, fiber, and vitamins, and it is believed to aid digestion, prevent cancer cell growth, and help with weight management due to its low-fat, high-fiber diet benefits. Spanish olive oil is known for its efficacy in combating heart disease, stroke, and breast cancer, while Greek yogurt strengthens the immune system and bone tissues. Japanese soy-based products such as soy sauce, tofu, and natto are considered beneficial for preventing cancer and osteoporosis, and Indian lentils are said to lower cholesterol levels.
In a 2017 article titled “Diet secrets from the world’s healthiest countries,” the New York Post wrote, “Want to live a long, healthy life? Move to South Korea.” The Post quoted a study from London’s Imperial College London published in the medical journal “The Lancet.” The study highlighted the fact that the life expectancy of Korean men and women is 84 years and 90.8 years, respectively, much higher than that of Americans (79.5 years for men and 83.3 years for women). The newspaper pointed out that one of the reasons for Koreans’ longevity is the consumption of kimchi, which not only supplements fiber and antioxidants but also provides beneficial probiotics for digestive health. Another secret to their longevity was attributed to their diet rich in healthy ingredients, particularly in bibimbap, which is traditionally served with gochujang, a spicy red pepper paste.
The Michelin Guide, also drawing from the same study in 2017, predicted that by 2030, Koreans’ average life expectancy would become the world’s highest. They highlighted kimchi’s efficacy as the “Latest Superfood.”
kimjang https://www.unesco.or
In contrast to Germany’s sauerkraut, which requires just cabbage and salt for fermentation (you can add juniper berries and mustard seeds though), kimchi calls for a more diverse range of ingredients. Along with cabbage, green onions, gochugaru (red pepper powder), salted shrimp, garlic, and ginger, other elements like turnips, onions, and minari (water parsley) are added, along with brine and sugar. Various recipes may also include kelp, anchovy sauce, and glutinous rice. Is that all? Depending on the region, various seafood such as oysters and abalone are also added to chicken, pork, and beef. Anything Goes! It seems that Korean kimchi has risen to the level of art.
Michelle Obama Made Kimchi in the White House
In early 1996, Luca, a Swiss lawyer and my classmate at Columbia University’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program in New York, discovered gochujang in the city. He seemed to be enchanted by the sauce he tasted in bibimbap at a nearby Korean restaurant called The Mill. When he exclaimed, “I could eat a bowl of rice with just gochujang,” it was as if lightning struck. Was it because he hailed from the land of cheese? Or perhaps it was the common denominator of fermentation found in cheese and kimchi that caught his attention.
In the same class, Korean and Japanese students gathered at The Mill during lunchtime, indulging in dishes like pork bulgogi, bibimbap, and sundubu jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew). Fukunori, in particular, had a deep love for kimchi. Luca and Fukunori awakened me to the potential of Korean cuisine in New York, well before the Hallyu wave reached the United States. At that time, we Korean students were still concerned about the smell of kimchi and garlic being around us.
In April 1996, Mark Bittman, a journalist for The New York Times, wrote an article titled “Exploring the World of Kimchi, the Spicy Korean Staple,” featuring the enthusiasm of American friends who pickle and eat kimchi, along with homemade kimchi recipes. Since then, The New York Times has published various kimchi recipes, including kimchi pancakes (2010), cucumber kimchi (2011), quick kimchi made with green vegetables and bean sprouts (geotjeori), kimchi soup, kimchi ramen cake, kimchi omelet (2015), 15-minute kimchi (2018), and kimchi fried rice (2020).
On April 14, 2020, a NYT reporter, Melissa Clark, featured kimchi jjigae from star YouTuber, Maangchi (Emily Kim), and kimchi soup from New York chef Hooni Kim’s cookbook “My Korea” in The New York Times’ Dining section, and on July 2, 2020, the newspaper published an article encouraging readers to try pickling kimchi at home. Food columnist Eric Kim’s piece “Think of Kimchi as a Verb” introduced recipes for cucumber kimchi, cherry tomato kimchi, and fennel kimchi.
In August 2022, The New York Times’ Dining section once again featured kimchi, covering it in a featured article across three pages. Eric Kim’s piece, titled “If You Can Make a Salad, You Can Make Kimchi,” highlighted how Korean immigrants leaving their homeland continued the tradition of kimjang (the kimchi-making culture), preserving their heritage. The article emphasized that kimjang is a cultural heritage that should be passed down as the tradition of sharing and making kimchi in Korea.
And The New York Times recommended the Kimchi French Toast With Kimchi recipe in "24 Breakfast Recipes to Make You a Morning Person" in the dining section dated January 22, 2024. NYT's Cooking section features recipes using kimchi, such as Kimchi Grilled Cheese, Kimchi Cheddar Biscuits, Buttery Kimchi Shrimp, and Kimchi Jjigae with Ribs.
As time went by, kimchi even found its way to the White House kitchen. In February 2013, First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted a photo of herself making cabbage kimchi at the White House, along with the recipe. “Last week, we picked Napa cabbage in the garden. Now, we’re using it to make kimchi in the kitchen. Make it at home.” In December 2013, Korea’s kimjang culture was inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Kimchi Chronicles, a TV documentary series hosted by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Marja Vongerichten (2010).
Michelin three-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his Korean American wife, Marja Vongerichten, appeared in the 13-part Korean documentary series “The Kimchi Chronicles” (2010). The Vongerichten couple introduced Korean travel and cuisine in the documentary, featuring topics such as rice, Jeju Island, seafood, soybean dishes, beef flavors, Seoul tastes, chicken dishes, Seoul noodles and dumplings, pork, and street food. The series, which also included guest appearances by actors Hugh Jackman and Heather Graham, aired on PBS-TV in 2011, contributing to the wider recognition of Korean cuisine in American society.
Marja Vongerichten also published the cooking book “The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen: A Cookbook.” In the book’s preface, she wrote about her multicultural kitchen, where Korean, French, and American roots are interconnected. She mentioned how her husband keeps olive oil and European vinegar as salad dressing ingredients in the cupboard, stores buttermilk for pancakes in the fridge on weekends, and hides chocolates among seasonings as a must-have midnight snack. She wrote, “I keep kimchi in the refrigerator, and while everyone gave me a hard time at first, it’s become a household staple; even our daughter, Chloe, whose ideal meal would probably be pasta with a side of white rice, loves kimchi.”
Chef Eric Ripert, a Michelin three-star chef, meets David Chang of Momofuku to seek advice before his trip to Korea for filming “Avec Eric.” Dishes like vegetables, gochujang, kimchi, and Momofuku ssam sauce were served on the table. http://www.aveceric.com
Eric Ripert, the chef of Le Bernadin, a Michelin three-star restaurant in New York, fell in love with Korean temple food and probably kimchi and gochujang. In 2015, Eric Ripert visited Korea to film his cooking program “Avec Eric” and explored temples like Tongdosa, Baekyangsa, and Jingwansa. He learned cooking from temple food expert Ven.Jeong Kwan (the head monk of Cheonjinam at Baekyangsa). The first part of the special Korea episode titled “KOREA-Temple Food: Feed the Soul” aired on a cable cooking channel in March 2015. Furthermore, in 2017, Ripert hosted an event at his restaurant Le Bernadin to promote Ven. Jeong Kwan’s temple food. The event featured tastings of dishes like gondre rice, deodeok, grilled tofu, neungi mushroom soup, buckwheat jelly, and potato pancakes.
The second part of the “Avec Eric” Korea special focused on “Kimchi and Gochujang - Hot and Spicy,” while the third part explored “DMZ - Food Under Fire in Korea.” Before visiting Korea, Ripert sought advice from Korean American chef David Chang of Momofuku. During his journey of exploring kimchi and gochujang, Ripert was inspired to reveal the recipe for “Korean-style Shrimp Bouillabaisse/Cioppino.”
In March 2019, Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin featured a Red Snapper (1, Twitter) dish with kimchi broth on the menu. In 2015, I tasted lunch with dishes such as Gochujang Sauce Hamachi (2) and Kimchi Sauce Skate (3).
Eric Ripert started offering dishes with kimchi and gochujang as ingredients on the menu at his seafood restaurant, Le Bernardin in midtown NYC. On a winter day in 2015, during a lunch visit to Le Bernardin, they offered appetizers such as Hamachi (Yellowtail) with Gochujang sauce and Skate with Kimchi broth, which my patriotism and curiosity, making it irresistible not to order.
The Hamachi dish (Hamachi: Flash Marinated Hamachi; Rice Crispy/ Gochujang Sake Vinaigrette) was appetizing with the mixture of soy sauce and vinegar in the spicy gochujang served with rice crackers for a tangy and crispy flavor. The Skate dish (Skate: Poached Skate; Braised Daikon, Charred Scallion Jam/ Lemon Confit-Kimchi Broth) featured a spicy kimchi broth as the sauce. The gochujang sauce for Hamachi and the kimchi broth for Skate were served separately. And in March 2019, Le Bernardin shared another Korean flavored menu, Red Snapper Slivers (Red Snapper Slivers; Asian Pear, Akinori, Kimchi Emulsion), on Twitter.
In the summer of 2016, Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud on the Upper East Side presented Korean cuisine as a special menu. “Le Voyage: Korean Cuisine” featured four dishes: seaweed soup, hamachi tartare with spicy gochujang, braised monkfish, and makgalbi jjim with kimchi.
On the left, Cinnamon Snail’s Chef Adam Sobel presents a “Quarantine living room picnic / Homemade kimchi and Chef Isabel Bogadke of Finger Lakes’ hot dog joint, FLX Wienery.
On another note, Chef Adam Sobel from the cult vegan food truck, Cinnamon Snail, racing through New York, is also a fan of kimchi and gochujang. He offers dishes like the “Gochujang Burger Deluxe” and “Kimchi Tater Tots” served with gochujang. Recently, for New Yorkers under self-quarantine due to COVID-19, he posted a special menu on Facebook featuring a “Quarantine Living Room Picnic Bibimbap” that includes kimchi, tofu, butternut squash, and seaweed.
Similarly, during a trip to the Finger Lakes wine region in upstate New York in the spring of 2016, I discovered kimchi unexpectedly. At the hot dog specialty restaurant, FLX Wienery, Chef Christopher Bates, an American chef, used a recipe he found on the internet to personally prepare the kimchi for the “K-Town Dog” and “Kimchi Fries (K-Town Fries).”
Korean Americans Devoted to the Kimchi Business
Koreans have long cherished fermented foods infused with patience and care. According to the Kimchi Museum in Seoul, there are over 300 different types of kimchi. In spring, we enjoy cabbage and mustard leaf kimchi; in summer, we savor young radish kimchi and cucumber kimchi; autumn is time for scallion kimchi and bachelor radish kimchi; in winter, we indulge in kimjang kimchi and radish water kimchi. Kimchi has been acknowledged as a superfood with numerous health benefits, including anti-cancer properties, immune system enhancement, anti-aging effects, cholesterol control, and weight management.
In Korea, surrounded by the sea on three sides, we have a tradition of not wasting any part of a fish. We salt and ferment fish innards to create pungent and flavorful fish sauces (jeotgal) with a distinct taste called “umami(savoury).” Jeotgal for kimchi combines plant-based and animal-based ingredients, utilizing the synergy of double fermentation. There are about 140 different types of jeotgal, including shrimp and squid jeotgal from Seoul, baby clam and flatfish jeotgal from Chungcheong Province, pollack and hairtail jeotgal from Gangwon Province, mackerel and hairtail spine jeotgal from Gyeongsang Province, yellowtail and horse crab jeotgal from Jeolla Province, hairtail and dried baby pollack jeotgal from Jeju Island, sand lance and cutlassfish jeotgal from the Yellow Sea, and salmon roe and cutlassfish intestines jeotgal from Hamgyeong Province.
In 2012, at Union Square, Philip Lee’s Kimchi Taco Truck, serving chicken, spicy pork, and beef short rib tacos with kimchi, gained popularity.
Kimchi has found widespread popularity in the United States, especially when it was paired with Mexican tacos. The fusion of kimchi and tacos has become a hit among the masses. Roy Choi, a second-generation Korean American, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and then operated the Kogi food truck in LA in 2008, sparked the kimchi taco truck trend. Subsequently, in 2008, Cornell University graduate Phillip Lee launched the Kimchi Taco Truck in New York, offering galbi (beef short rib) tacos, spicy pork tacos, and kimchi rice balls to New Yorkers. Kimchi tacos even made their way to the cocktail lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York.
Robert Austin Cho, who graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in business, previously worked as a real estate agent before starting Kimchi Smoke Barbecue in Westwood, New Jersey, where he serves Texas-style barbecue with a twist of kimchi. One of his popular items, the Chonut 2.1, is a fusion barbecue sandwich consisting of smoked brisket, smoked kimchi, cheese, bacon, scallions, with bourbon chipotle sauce on a glazed donut. Kimchi Smoke BBQ participated in the Hudson River Blues Festival as a food vendor in the summer of 2022.
A Kimchi Conversarion with Authors Lauryn Chun and Ben Ryder Howe at the New York Public Library in 2013.
As kimchi gains popularity as a wellness food, second-generation Korean Americans in New York have transitioned their careers to start kimchi businesses. Brands like Mother-in Law Kimchi and Mama O’s Premium Kimchi pay homage to their mothers’ generation. These new-generation kimchi entrepreneurs have elevated their brands and packaging, promoting kimchi to American consumers through various marketing techniques such as tastings, wine pairings, kimchi-making workshops, and kimchi-eating contests.
Lauryn Chun, who previously worked as a wine journalist in New York, started her kimchi business in 2009. She learned the art of kimchi-making from her mother, who ran a seolleongtang (ox bone soup) restaurant called Jang Mo Jip in Garden Grove, California. Lauryn launched her brand called “Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi,” incorporating her mother’s kimchi-making techniques. Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi offers three types of kimchi: Original, Seaweed (for vegetarians), and Spicy, each aged like a wine reserva.
In 2014, Lauryn expanded her business to include gochujang (red chili paste), offering four distinct flavors: Original, Tangy, Sesame, and Garlic. Lauryn hosted kimchi workshops at the New York Public Library and introduced the pairing of kimchi with wine at the Korea Society. She also authored “The Kimchi Cookbook.” The name of her company, “Milkimchi,” reflects her wish for both milk and kimchi to be found in every fridge worldwide.
"Kimchi Eating Contest" by Mama O's on Governors Island in 2012.
Kheedim Oh, a Korean American who previously worked as a DJ in New York, started Mama O’s Premium Kimchi in 2009. Learning the art of kimchi-making from his mother in Maryland, Kheedim launched Mama O’s as a premium kimchi brand. He organized the kimchi festival “Kimchi Palooza,” featuring spicy kimchi eating contests and kimchi-making workshops.
Mama O’s kimchi also sells home kimchi-making kits, kimchi paste, and kimchi sauce to make it easier for people to prepare kimchi at home. His products have made their way to stores like Whole Foods, Murray’s Cheese Shop, and Williams Sonoma.
These second-generation Korean American entrepreneurs have embraced their cultural heritage, turning kimchi into a sought-after delicacy that has found its way into the hearts and fridges of many Americans. Their dedication to the kimchi business has not only contributed to the diversification of the American food scene, but has also brought Korean culture to the forefront of the culinary world in the United States.
The Rise of Korean American Chefs
Korean american star chefs: David Chang(from left), Roy Choi, Corey Lee, Edward Lee, Danny Bowien, and Hooni Kim.
In a column titled “Why Korean Men Cook Well,” for my website www.NYCultureBeat.com, Tony Yoo, the chef of Seoul restaurant Dooreyoo, mentioned chopsticks, bibimbap, and fermented foods. He pointed out that the most innovative and addictive aspect of Korean flavors is the “taste of fermentation.” Understanding the complexity of fermentation is a significant asset for Korean chefs, giving them a considerable advantage.
Korean fermented foods, such as kimchi, gochujang, and jeotgal, create intricate and subtle flavors that have developed our taste buds to be highly sensitive. Consequently, the Korean culinary vocabulary is rich and varied, using words like spicy, hot, sweet, sour, savory, tangy, and many others that are difficult to translate directly into English.
Korean American chefs, including David Chang of Momofuku, have made waves across the United States, showcasing their secret weapons in the form of fermented foods like kimchi and gochujang, as well as the spirit of bibimbap.
In May 2013, the James Beard Foundation Awards, known as the “Oscars of the food world,” were held at Lincoln Center. David Chang, a second-generation Korean American chef, jointly won the Outstanding Chef award with Paul Kahan of Blackbird in Chicago, while adoptee Korean American chef Danny Bowien took home the Rising Star of the Year award.
Beyond that, Korean American chefs like Roy Choi, who sparked the taco truck trend in the US with Kogi in LA, Corey Lee of Benu, a Michelin 3-star restaurant in San Francisco, Yim Jung-sik of 2 Michelin-starred Jungsik in New York, Hooni Kim of Danji, the first Korean restaurant to receive a Michelin star, and Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky, have become pioneers leading modern American cuisine across the country. They apply French techniques to Korean ingredients, blend Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines liberally, and armed with the “bibimbap spirit” that combines kimchi and Mexican tacos, they have risen as a vanguard of the new American food revolution.
Roy Choi, in his memoir “L.A. Son, My Life, My City, My Food,” confessed, “Everything I am came from kimchi.” After majoring in philosophy at the University of California, Roy Choi learned cooking at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in upstate New York and started the taco truck Kogi in front of a nightclub in Beverly Hills in 2008, catapulting him to fame.
Chef Corey Lee operates the New American restaurant Benu in San Francisco and became the first Korean American chef to receive three Michelin stars in 2015. After working at Thomas Keller’s wine country restaurant French Laundry and Per Se in New York, Corey Lee won the James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star Chef award in 2006 and the West’s Best Chef award in 2017. At Benu, they serve galbi-jjim and barbecue with kimchi and ssamjang. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the opening of San Ho Won, a Korean barbeque restaurant, along with a photo of Corey Lee posing in front of Jangdokdae (traditional earthen jars used for aging gochujang and kimchi) in April 2020. Corey Lee brings soy sauce made at Jukjangyeon in Pohang on the plane and uses it for cooking.
Danny Bowien, who was born in Korea and adopted by an Oklahoma family, won the pesto competition in Genoa, Italy, in 2008. He then gained popularity with his pop-up restaurant “Mission Chinese Food” in San Francisco and opened a New York branch in 2012, becoming the #1 new restaurant according to The New York Times that year. This sparked a Sichuan cuisine craze in New York.
Edward Lee, a top graduate of NYU with a degree in English, rose to stardom in southern cuisine at 610 Magnolia in Louisville in 2004, where the Kentucky Derby is held. After being a James Beard Foundation Award finalist for several years, he ventured into Maryland’s National Harbor and Washington DC, opening the upscale restaurant Succotash. His cookbook “Smoke & Pickle” features recipes that blend Southern cuisine with Korean barbecue, kimchi, gochujang, and soy sauce, including dishes like pork rice bowl.
Hooni Kim of Danji (chefsociety)/ Curtis of Benu. (clee_benu instagram).
Hooni Kim opened the Korean restaurant Danji in Manhattan in 2010, which became the first Korean restaurant to receive a Michelin 1-star the following year. Later, he opened Hanjan, which earned two stars from The New York Times. While Danji’s hit was the bulgogi slider (mini burger), Hanjan focused on offering more traditional dishes such as gochujang pork ribs, mukbang kimchi stew, and jukjangyeon gochujang anchovy fritters, representing Korean street and market food. In 2020 Hooni Kim released his cookbook titled “My Korea: Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes.” And Kim opened 'Meju,' a soybean paste-themed tasting menu restaurant in Long Island City, Queens, and received 1 Michelin star in 2023.
Chef Kim is an aficionado of jang. In 2013, he organized a tasting event of jang from Pohang’s Jukjangyeon for New York food enthusiasts. He sells “Hooni’s Ssam Sauce,” made with doenjang (soybean paste), cheonggukjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (red pepper paste), apple juice, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, green onion, and soybean oil. Is Ssam Sauce an accompaniment for wrapping ssam? Or a mixture of three traditional jangs – doenjang, gochujang, and ganjang (soy sauce)? Jukjangyeon introduced a vintage concept, fermenting jang with oak wood in an iron cauldron, and marketed it by showcasing Korean American star chefs.
Momofuku Ssäm Sauces with pepperoni pizza.
David Chang was named one of “Time” magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010 and 2012, made a splash in New York’s restaurant scene by opening Momofuku Noodle Bar in the run-down East Village in 2004. The hitmaker at Momofuku Noodle Bar was the Pork Bun, inspired by Peking duck (a sandwich with sliced pork belly, cucumber, and scallions, drizzled with hoisin sauce, on a soft wheat bun or bao). Momofuku’s ramen, another standout, sparked a boom in Japanese ramen restaurants across New York.
At his second restaurant, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, he gained attention with Bo Ssäm, a pork belly roast served with oysters, kimchi, and lettuce. He continued to flourish with the 12-seat tasting menu restaurant Ko. David Chang’s Momofuku empire, with 8 James Beard Foundation awards, has expanded to New York, Boston, Washington DC, LA, Las Vegas, Toronto, and Sydney.
David Chang also appreciates kimchi and gochujang as the origins of his delicacies. Since the opening of Momofuku Noodle Bar in 2004, he has been using a homemade Ssäm Sauce (ssämjang), blending Korean fermented condiments – gochujang, doenjang, and ganjang – with vinegar and mirin, sugar, onion, cayenne pepper, etc. in his affiliated restaurants. Starting from 2015, he began selling Ssäm sauce, nationwide through Kraft Heinz and Amazon. The original Ssäm Sauce goes well with pizza, burgers, fried chicken, ramen, and more, while the spicy Ssäm Sauce is recommended for sandwiches, buffalo chicken wings, grilled vegetables, and tacos. David Chang stated, “The flavors of Ssäm Sauce are part of Momofuku’s DNA.”
Both of these chefs have successfully incorporated Korean fermented products into modern cuisine, creating a harmonious blend of flavors that appeal to global audiences. Through their restaurants and product offerings, they have been spreading the allure and taste of Korean cuisine worldwide. Moreover, the popularity of “Ssam Sauce” as a contemporary condiment is evidence of its influence on American culinary culture, much like ketchup, Tabasco, or Sriracha.
In the summer of 2023, Momofuku launched Sweet & Spicy Noodles and Spicy Chili Noodles with a gochujang flavor. David Chang revealed that he has been using Sweet & Spicy Noodles all summer long to make Bibim Naengmyeon (mixed cold noodle).
China Claims to Be the Origin of Kimchi
Kimchi can now be ordered online as well. When you search for Kimchi on Amazon.com, you’ll find dozens of Kimchi brands.
In November 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China, a dispute over the origin of kimchi began. The Chinese national media, Global Times, reported that the specialty product “Pao cai” from the city of Meishan in Sichuan Province received international standard certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), asserting that China leads the kimchi industry. Under the title “Shame of Korean Kimchi,” the article claimed that China’s pao cai had become the international standard for the kimchi industry, while Korea, the so-called Kimchi Kingdom, felt humiliated, causing anger among Korean media.
This sparked debates in the Korean media and social media. China had shown interest in kimchi’s efficacy as early as the 2003 SARS outbreak and has been exporting inexpensive kimchi to Korea. Pao cai is a form of pickled vegetables preserved in salt. Korea had already registered a definition for kimchi in 2001 with the Codex Alimentarius Commission, made from cabbage and mixed with ingredients such as red pepper powder, garlic, ginger, green onions, and radish, then fermented.
The BBC from the UK criticized the Chinese media’s misinformation in November 2020, in an article titled “Kimchi Ferments Cultural Feud between South Korea and China,” introducing Korean Kimchi ingredients and Kimjang culture, highlighting the differences between China’s Pao cai and Korean kimchi.
Is China Laying Claim to Kimchi, Too? Some South Koreans Think So, NYT
The New York Times also covered the kimchi dispute between China and Korea in early December 2020. The Times quoted Cho Jung-eun, the director of the World Institute of Kimchi, who emphasized that if kimchi is classified as a form of pickled food like tsukemono from Japan or sauerkraut from Germany, China had no interest in kimchi when the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (F.A.O.) defined kimchi in 2001. She also pointed out that Chinese interest in kimchi increased when Korean immigrants established kimchi factories in China around 2003. Korean kimchi is unique with a blend of garlic, ginger, and red pepper powder, differing from Chinese pickles. The New York Times provides a Chinese version of the article online.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the export of Korean kimchi to the United States increased. The total value of kimchi exports in 2021 exceeded $28.25 million, a more than 30% increase from the previous year, and a tenfold increase from $2.79 million a decade ago. In 2021, Korean Kimchi exports abroad reached $106 million.
“Kimchi Day” in the U.S.
Furthermore, several U.S. states have designated “Kimchi Day.” On February 17, 2022, the New York State Assembly established November 22 as “Kimchi Day” in New York. Following California and Virginia, this was the third state to do so. The New York State Assembly Resolution, proposed by Representative Ron Kim, stated, “The growing interest and popularity of kimchi as a dish in America and the State of New York, as evident by an increase in available kimchi-related food products, restaurant menu items, and interest from non-Korean consumers represents a positive example of multicultural exchange ... Kimchi is celebrated in Korea, the land of its origin, each year through the designation of November 22nd as Kimchi Day.”
In June 2022, the Washington, D.C. City Council unanimously passed a resolution to designate November 22 as “Kimchi Day.” November 22 is significant as it represents 11 ingredients such as cabbage and radish, which come together to create 22 health benefits, including immune enhancement, antioxidation, anti-obesity, and anticancer effects.
Due to the recent Korean Wave, China’s blind nationalism has led them to claim not only Chinese-made kimchi but also Korean-made sesame oil, red pepper powder, Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), Pansori (Korean traditional music), and Dano Festival as their own. However, who in the world would believe that Chinese-made kimchi is authentic?
Sukie Park
A native Korean, Sukie Park studied journalism and film & theater in Seoul. She worked as a reporter with several Korean pop, cinema, photography and video magazines, as a writer at Korean radio (KBS-2FM 영화음악실) and television (MBC-TV 출발 비디오 여행) stations, and as a copywriter at a video company(대우 비디오). Since she moved to New York City, Sukie covered culture and travel for The Korea Daily of New York(뉴욕중앙일보) as a journalist. In 2012 she founded www.NYCultureBeat.com, a Korean language website about cultural events, food, wine, shopping, sightseeing, travel and people. She is also the author of the book recently-published in Korea, "한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드: 방탄소년단(BTS), '기생충' 그리고 '오징어 게임'을 넘어서 (33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game)."
- 한류를이해하는33가지코드,
- 느림의미학,
- 김치와고추장,
- 발효음식,
