I am very glad that the almost-lost art of fermentation is making its way back to our kitchens. Not only it is a great way to preserve food, but also, eating fermented food supplies our gut with beneficial bacteria. And did you know that about 70% of our immune system is located in our gut? We need these bacteria to maintain healthy microbiota.
Simple Kimchi
INGREDIENTS
2 heads Napa cabbage
1 bunch of scallions, cut diagonally to 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons of sea salt or kosher salt
6-8 garlic cloves, grated
1 (2 inches long) knob of ginger, grated
1-4 tablespoons Gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes)
2 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Slice the cabbage lengthwise into quarters. Remove cores. Cut each quarter crosswise into 2-inch wide pieces.
Place the cabbage in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Massage the salt into the leaves and let it stand for 30 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Massage the cabbage making sure that every piece is covered thoroughly with garlic, ginger, and chili flakes.
Push the cabbage down with your hands until it gives out the liquid. Place a plate on top of it making sure that the cabbage is submerged under the squeezed liquid. Let it stand like this, at room temperature, for about one week. After one week has passed, taste it. The cabbage will taste sour and salty. Transfer the cabbage to glass jars and refrigerate.