In a Zoom program Hae Jung Cho discusses and demonstrates making Kimchi the national food of Korea. The average Korean eats about 40 pounds of kimchi a year, with several types of kimchi being served at each meal. Eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, kimchi is spicy, tangy, crunchy and filled with umami. But why do Koreans bury their kimchi in the ground? And are all types of kimchi spicy? Can vegans eat kimchi? These and other kimchi mysteries will be explained by chef and culinary historian, Hae Jung Cho, who will discus the history of kimchi, the science of fermentation and then demonstrate how to make Korea’s most famous kimchi, poggi kimchi, made during the fall as part of the seasonal ritual of kimjang.

Hae Jung Cho has been a professional cook for 17 years and a master food preserver since 2011. As an avid fan of traditional foodways, Hae Jung developed a kimchi recipe in order to teach people, Korean and non-Korean, how to make kimchi at home. She also teaches other fermentation and preservation techniques including sauerkraut, kombucha, hot sauce, dehydration etc. Hae Jung lives in Los Angeles and is a proud member of the Crenshaw Community garden and secretary of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Check out her Facebook group, Hae Jung’s Kimchi Club, for kimchi info and classes.