Korean kimchi culture has deep traces of Confucian culture in China. In China's Book of Songs, the word "Qu" appeared, which was interpreted as sauerkraut in China's dictionary, and it was this pickled sauerkraut that was introduced to South Korea. Korean kimchi has gone through several important stages. Korean kimchi originated from Dawan Town, Jiangbei County, Chongqing (now Yubei District, Chongqing). Xue Rengui, a general of the Tang Dynasty, was sent by the government to Korea (now Korea) and settled in Korea (now Korea).
Many of his entourage are from Jiangbei County, Chongqing, and they can cook kimchi in their hometown. Since then, Chongqing kimchi has entered Korea. After several wars in Korea, this dish has entered Korean civilian families. It is mainly pickled with bracken, bamboo shoots, Adenophora adenophora, eggplant, cucumber and radish with salt, rice porridge, vinegar, distiller's grains and sauce. In the Koryo era, the cultivation techniques of vegetables were improved, fresh vegetables such as pickled vegetables, water celery and bamboo shoots were added to kimchi, and pickled cabbage soup was appeared to be eaten with soup after being pickled with salt water.
In the Korean era, the production methods of kimchi began to be rich, and the raw materials were more diverse. Because South Korea was facing the sea on three sides and had abundant aquatic products, it began to add various seafood such as fish, shrimp and crab to kimchi. By the end of the Korean era, due to a large number of cultivation, Chinese cabbage became the main raw material more commonly used than radish, cucumber and eggplant. At this time, the pepper introduced revolutionized the production of kimchi.
Pepper is considered as an excellent pickle condiment because it can remove the fishy smell produced when fish make kimchi, and make it colorful, which makes people look appetizing, thus replacing the traditional method of salting from China.
kimchi culture
for Koreans, kimchi is not only a side dish, but also a manifestation of strength and culture. There are many expositions, exhibitions and seminars on kimchi in Korea. The largest one was "Pickles Pickled with Love" held in November 25 for low-income families and social welfare institutions in Seoul, with 6, volunteers participating and 4, cabbages used at one time.
There are many ways to eat kimchi, such as eating it directly or baking it. The aged kimchi is made into soup. The "Sanjin" canteen in Myeongdong, Seoul is a famous specialty store in Korea, which is famous for eating pork belly wrapped in kimchi. The canteen wraps pork belly with pickles, ferments in a jar for about a week, and then takes it out to cook.
In many traditional families in South Korea, the original marinade of an altar of kimchi can even be passed down to nine generations: great-grandmother passed it on to grandmother, grandmother passed it on to mother, mother passed it on to daughter-in-law, and then passed it on ... Therefore, the real kimchi is called "the affection marinated with maternal love", and the longer it is, the stronger its flavor becomes, so that Koreans call the good taste of kimchi "the taste of mother". Perhaps it is out of love and gratitude for the mother that Koreans call kimchi a "filial product".
Kimchi has gone far beyond a table dish in Korean daily life, but has sublimated into a unique tradition and culture, and has become an indispensable part of Korean life.
Koreans love kimchi for another reason, and their temperament is quite similar to kimchi-very spicy, even a little violent; It's cool. It's quick to do things. Because of this, the kimchi complex hidden in the hearts of Koreans will probably never go away.