[Altoran Kimjang Kimchi Recipe] Making Kimjang kimchi seasoning and preparing cabbage kimchi

During the 2019 kimjang season, orders for salted cabbage poured in. A 20kg package generally contains about 10 heads, although the number varies with cabbage size. MBN's “Altoran” kimjang kimchi method attracted attention that season. Here is its golden recipe for making kimjang kimchi seasoning and delicious cabbage kimchi.

Altoran Kimjang Kimchi Recipe ① Salting the cabbage

Ingredients: 5 heads of cabbage, 13.5L water, 1.5kg sea salt, etc.

1. Based on 5 heads of cabbage, dissolve 4 cups (1.5kg) of sea salt in 13.5L of water.

2. Evenly coat the spaces between the cabbage leaves with the salting water.

3. Sprinkle 70g of sea salt only on the stem parts of every 1/2 head of cabbage.

4. Let the cabbage salt for 12 hours.

5. Wait 3 to 4 hours for the cabbage to drain.

Altoran Kimjang Kimchi Recipe ② Making Kimjang kimchi seasoning

Ingredients: Water, green onion roots, green onions, onion, onion skins, radish, dried radish strips, dried jujubes, ground shiitake mushrooms, kelp, shredded radish, grated radish, coarse red chili powder, fine red chili powder, glutinous rice paste, grated pear, anchovy fish sauce, grated cheonggak (seaweed), ground myeolchi-jeot (salted fermented anchovies), ground saeujeot (salted fermented shrimp), minced raw shrimp, minced garlic, minced ginger, plum syrup, sea salt, jjokpa green onions, minari (Oenanthe javanica; water dropwort), red mustard greens, etc.

1. Add 10 cups of water, 5 green onion roots, 1/2 green onion, 1/4 onion, 10g onion skins, 100g radish, 60g dried radish strips, 14 dried jujubes, and 3 ground shiitake mushrooms, then boil for 20 minutes.

2. Add 5g of kelp and boil for another 10 minutes to make vegetable stock, then let it cool sufficiently.

3. Mix 700g of shredded radish with 2/3 cup of fine red chili powder.

4. Mix 1.7kg of grated radish, 1.25 cups of coarse red chili powder, 2 cups of glutinous rice paste, 1.5 cups of grated pear, 1/2 cup of vegetable stock, 1/3 cup of anchovy fish sauce, 50g of grated cheonggak, 1/4 cup each of ground myeolchi-jeot (salted fermented anchovies) and ground saeujeot (salted fermented shrimp), 4 minced raw shrimp, 130g minced garlic, 25g minced ginger, 1.5 cups plum syrup, and 70g sea salt.

5. Add 100g each of onion, jjokpa green onions, and minari (Oenanthe javanica; water dropwort) cut into 2–3cm pieces, 50g of diagonally sliced green onions, and 120g of prepared red mustard greens to the Kimjang kimchi seasoning and mix to complete the seasoning.

Altoran Kimjang Kimchi Recipe ③ How to make delicious cabbage kimchi

To make Kimjang kimchi, apply the seasoning made in ② to the salted cabbage, focusing on coating the stem parts. Since the cabbage leaves can be seasoned by the kimchi liquid alone, there is no need to apply much seasoning to the leaf parts. For storage, roll the outer leaves of the cabbage around it to form a round shape, place it in a kimchi container, and cover it with seasoned cabbage greens (ugeoji) to complete the Kimjang kimchi.

There are various ways to make cabbage kimchi, such as the Altoran/Manmulsang Kimjang kimchi method and the golden recipe from a traditional head family in Jeolla Province. Tips for making delicious cabbage kimchi include: ▲ Natural sweetness using onion juice, plum syrup, or pear juice ▲ A sweet and refreshing taste using finely minced raw shrimp or octopus ▲ A clean aftertaste where cheonggak neutralizes the fishy smell of the fermented sauces ▲ A refreshing and spicy taste using dried chili seeds ▲ A clean sweetness using ripe persimmons or jujubes ▲ A clean umami flavor using anchovy broth, kelp water, or bugeo (dried Alaska pollock) broth ▲ Note: Bone broth provides a savory taste but is not used as it is prone to developing an unpleasant smell.