Re: [CH] Hot Kim-chee
Stephen Tanner (SBahrd@a-o.com)
Sun, 08 Feb 1998 09:31:15 -0400
Andie Paysinger wrote:
> The flavor is wonderful but the heat is tremendous. I can handled a lot
> of heat, but this is near my tolerance level. I think it is close to
> rivaling "The Bread" in intensity.
> Has anyone else had much experience with kim-chee like this?
Hi Andie,
Having experienced two tours of duty in Korea, I have developed a real
taste for Kim-Chee. I also know that the name is very generic,
discribing a wide range of Korean dishes. They generally fall into two
groups known in English as "Summer Kim-Chee" and "Winter Kim-Chee".
Summer Kim-Chee generally is made from whatever fresh vegetables are
available at the time which may be any one of several cabbage like
plants or some sort of radish related vegetables and does not really get
fully fermented as it is usually eaten within a couple of days of the
making. Winter Kim-Chee, on the other hand, may also contain other
ingredients, such as small sardine-like fish. It is fully fermented,
usually by burying it in a large stoneware jar, thus preserving it for
use during the winter months. Both types have, in common, the usage of
lots of salt, garlic, and very hot chiles.
I don't know the name of the chile used, but it is a rather small bright
red chile grown all over Korea and may be seen drying in trays on the
roof of many a Korean house during the fall. They are very similar in
appearance to what I know as the Thai chile and, I suspect that they are
very closely related. Anyhow-HOT!! HOT!! HOT!!!
I make my own summer kim-chee quite often and, until recently, have used
the crushed red peppers found on grocery shelves and pizza restaurants.
The last two batches that I made, however, I used some of Jim Campbells'
apple smoked hab powder. What a difference !!!
The flaver was totally different and the heat set fire to my socks.
Great stuff. In addition to eating it as a side dish with a meal, I also
use it as a pickle on sandwiches. Try it-- it's just great.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
Steve Tanner
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