If you didn’t know, Koreans eat kimchi every day.
Want to know how often we make it?
Here’s what to know about kimjang culture!
Quick Summary
- Koreans make napa cabbage kimchi during kimjang (kimchi making) season to eat throughout the year.
- Kimjang typically takes place in late November or early December.
- Koreans make other types of kimchi from time to time, but a year’s worth of napa cabbage kimchi on this kimjang day.
- Since making kimchi is a lot of work, many Koreans prefer to do it in bulk.
What Is Kimjang?
Kimjang refers to the communal tradition of kimchi making.
It’s more than a simple cooking activity. Kimjang is about community, teamwork, and culture.
Families, neighbors, or even entire villages come together to salt, chop, season, and ferment hundreds of cabbages.
Kimjang was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013 for its significance in Korean culture.
During kimjang, people bond over the labor-intensive yet rewarding process.
Kimjang is when we make a year’s worth of napa cabbage kimchi. We make other types from time to time.
Why Do Koreans Practice Kimjang?
In the past, Koreans couldn’t grow vegetables during the winter. So, people made a large quantity of kimchi at once to have enough to eat through long, harsh winters.
Rich in vitamins, kimchi was a source of nutrients that were often lacking in winter diets.
After making kimchi, people stored it by burying earthenware jars in the ground.
Now Koreans keep this tradition to spend time with families and share delicious kimchi together.
Also, since making kimchi is a lot of work, many Koreans prefer to make it in bulk, kind of like meal prepping, but for a year.
Koreans now store it in a kimchi fridge because we live in apartments.
Why Late November or Early December?
The timing of kimjang aligns with Korea’s transition into winter.
Napa cabbages need to be harvested before they are affected by frost or freezing temperatures.
By late November, temperatures are cool enough to slow down fermentation, ensuring kimchi stays fresh throughout the winter as well.
Since the northern regions of Korea get colder earlier than the southern regions, kimjang begins in the north and gradually moves southward.
A Family Affair
On kimjang day, generations of family members gather in the kitchen or backyard (if there is one).
Everyone takes on a role in the process.
Usually, dads or guys carry cabbages and move heavy things, while moms or mothers-in-law are in charge of making seasoning using a family recipe.
The seasonings include radish, jeotgal (pickled seafood or fish sauce), chili powder, garlic, ginger, scallions, and many more. My mom adds tons of fresh oysters as a whole for a more refreshing flavor, which is common in the south.
After the hard work, we all enjoy a celebratory meal, bossam, featuring freshly made kimchi and boiled pork belly (suyuk) slices.
Kimjang is not just about making food. It’s about keeping the culture alive.
Every jar of kimchi contains the warm heart, jeong, and kimjang tradition.
