Kimchi

Kimchi (; ), also written as kimchee, is a traditional Korean side dish (''banchan'') consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including ''gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), spring onions, garlic, ginger, and ''jeotgal'' (salted seafood). Kimchi is also used in a variety of soups and stews. Kimchi is a staple food in Korean cuisine and is eaten as a side dish with almost every Korean meal.

There are hundreds of different types of kimchi made with different vegetables as the main ingredients. Examples of variants include ''baechu-kimchi'', ''kkakdugi'', ''chonggak-kimchi'', and ''oi-sobagi''. Traditionally, winter kimchi, called ''gimjang'', was stored in large earthenware fermentation vessels, called ''onggi'', in the ground to prevent freezing during the winter months and to keep it cool enough to slow down the fermentation process during summer months. The process of making kimchi was called gimjang and was a way for the whole village to participate. The vessels are also kept outdoors in special terraces called ''jangdokdae''. Recently, household kimchi refrigerators are more commonly used. Provided by Wikipedia