Essentially, is a staple Korean side dish that's present at almost every meal. It's fermented napa cabbage—or cucumber, mustard leaf, scallion, chive, radish... Some are spicier than others (⊙︿⊙✿). Usually, certain types are reserved for certain seasons, or dishes. The ingredients can also hint at which region a family is from in Korea.
, which literally translates to hand taste, is this magical je ne sais quoi deeply embedded in Korean cuisine. It's that unique touch (✿◔‿◔)ɔ･ﾟ✧♥ someone brings to their cooking that makes you feel right at home.
I returned stateside in 2020 from a two year adventure in Stockholm. You can find kimchi on many menus there. Some tasted good, but some didn't (◕︵◕). I wondered why. Since being back home, I remembered that my aunt's is the best in the entire world. My aunt and I hung out, and she shared her recipe, and about her in an effort to save humanity from poorly fermented cabbage, and homesickness!
Love, Stella
PS: The consonants of the Korean alphabet were visually designed to mimic the positions of your mouth, teeth, and tongue upon pronuciation. Originally the language was named "Correct sounds to enlighten the people", and visually, the "Instruction of the People". King Sejong, who invented it, wrote, "I...have created 28 letters. It is my desire that all the people may easily learn them and use them daily." - more here ٩(^‿^)۶