Okay, so I wanted to give this “lil kymchii” thing a shot. I’d seen it around, and it looked pretty interesting. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of spicy food, but I figured, why not?
First, I had to get the ingredients. That was a bit of a mission, let me tell you. I went to like three different stores before I found everything. Napa cabbage, Korean radish, garlic, ginger, gochugaru… it was a whole list. I even had to ask for help finding the gochugaru because I had no idea what it was. Turns out, it’s just Korean chili powder. Who knew?
Then came the actual making process. I followed a recipe I found online, but it was still pretty involved. I had to chop all the veggies, make a paste with the garlic and ginger, and then mix everything together with the gochugaru. My hands were stained red for a day after that, but I guess that’s part of the experience. They did smell like garlic for even longer though.
After I did all of that, I had to pack it all tightly into a jar and let it sit for a while. The recipe said to let it ferment for at least a day or two, but I ended up leaving it for a week because I had time. I’d say, it was probably a little bit better after the full week, but who really knows?
Finally, the day came to try it. I was a little nervous, but I dug in. And you know what? It was actually pretty good! It was definitely spicy, but it also had this tangy, fermented flavor that was really unique. It was unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. I wouldn’t say it has become my favorite food or anything, but I’ve been adding it to different meals throughout the week to spice things up. Literally.
The Verdict
- Would I make it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but it was kind of fun, and the result was pretty tasty.
- Is it worth the hype? I don’t know about hype, but it’s definitely worth trying if you’re into fermented foods or spicy stuff.
- Would I recommend it? Yeah, I think so. It’s a fun little culinary adventure, and you might discover your new favorite condiment.
So there you have it. My lil kymchii experiment. It was a journey, but I’m glad I did it. I learned something new, and I got to eat something delicious. What more could you ask for?
