What’s a decent brand, as I’ve resorted to the internet to buy some, as all the supermarkets sell Yutaka. It’s not terrible but far from what I expected, as a pickled veg and being pickled in chilli paste (mild as ****, and seemingly pretty lack lustre). Yes making some would be ace, but for now, what can I buy that any good?

ps: I’ve never tasted any authentic kimnchi, but like pickled stuff..

Kimchi is fermented that’s why it was not what you were expecting, it’s vial stuff.

ahh makes sense, but even, so I’d like to try a more authentic taste

Korean sister in law makes the best home made Kimchi. Try and make some I reckon, how hard can it be??!

Having spent a lot of time in SE Asia I have dabbled in kimchi but I leave it well alone now. Firstly, it tastes vile, but the worst effect for me is the arse explosion and bad guts the next day.

I have concluded that my innards are quite happy without kimchi and I wont touch it any more.

You can make it yourself relatively easy and it will taste miles better than any of the overpriced supermarket stuff. The only ingredient that might be slightly tricky to get is the red pepper paste (gochujang) and proper Korean pepper flakes but any Asian supermarket will sell them and even some Sainsbury’s sell the paste now.

I lived just outside of Seoul for a year in my early 20’s so I get serious cravings for it sometimes but I understand that it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Horrible stuff. When in S Korea I successfully avoid it by not eating anything red

The yukata stuff is really watery i found. My local chinese shopstuff is miles better. The stuff from Asda https://groceries.asda.com/product/oriental/ajumma-republic-kimchi-korean-pickled-cabbage/1000046413108 is pretty good. they also sell gochucjang if you want to make it yourself. I found it goes best with pig based products.

cheer @Bobgarrod I agree on the yukata stuff, will look out for the Ajumma brand, though I have glanced around in asda and not noticed it

Just no. Another one who worked in South Korea for a long while. Horrible horrible stuff. Still remember the reek from my colleague’s kimchi pot on a week long sail on a ship. Yuck.

I make my own variation.
Comes in a about a pound for a litre kilner jars worth.
You can pick up most of the ingredients from Morrison’s.

I like kimchi because I am very lazy to cook even for normal stir fry vegs.
Kimchi fits in perfectly for me.
Hot and spicy? Nahh they are mild by my standard.

Still remember the reek from my colleague’s kimchi pot on a week long sail on a ship. Yuck.

Try living near to people making fish sauce or dry salted fish. When the wind blows in your direction you will get a whiff of the aroma … make sure you don’t have full stomach.

My g/f made some recently, from a recipe she found; one ingredient I couldn’t find, but freshly made it tasted fine, so given the missing ingredient, which I can’t remember at the moment, and time to mature, it should taste even better. And I’m speaking as one who really doesn’t like pickles!
I do like hot, spicy food, though.

Love Kimchi and would like to make my own. I’ve never seen it in a store outside of an Asian supermarket I go to when in London but should check again with my two local shops. I’ve not risked the internet shops…yet.

Morrison’s deffo stock guochujang. They also stock the seaweed snack sticks – yum yum.

You can use gochuchang but what you really want is gochugaru which is the red pepper flakes. I just made some kimchi and it’s really nice.

You don’t have to let it ferment for ages and get really ‘funky’, I think that’s what people are saying is horrible.

I got ingredients from sous chef which had lots of other cool hard to find ingredients. Not the cheapest though. If you have a local Korean food store selling that kind of thing it would probably be much cheaper.

And I’m speaking as one who really doesn’t like pickles!

It’s not pickled and it’s not fresh.

It is pickled, only it’s pickled in it’s own lactic acid due to the fermentation.