Kaesong Bossam Kimchi

Ingredients

Cabbage

• 2large Chinese cabbages
• 150 gcoarse non-iodised salt
• 2 litreswater

Filling

• 1Korean pear, in matchsticks
• 100 gchestnuts, peeled and sliced
• 8oysters, shucked
• 2 tbsppine nuts
• 50 gdried jujube, sliced
• 1white radish, in matchsticks
• 4spring onions, in lengths
• 50 gdropwort or watercress

Seasoning

• 4 tbspgochugaru
• 3 tbspsalted shrimp (saeujeot), chopped
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 6 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 2cm ginger, grated
• 1 tspsugar

Directions

1. Cut the cabbages in half lengthwise and soak them in the salt water for six hours, turning occasionally, until the thick white stems bend without snapping.
2. Rinse well in three changes of cold water and drain upside down for an hour. Under-rinsed cabbage makes kimchi that is simply salty; over-salted cabbage never ferments properly.
3. Set aside the largest, most pliable outer leaves — you will need one or two per parcel to wrap with, and they must be whole and unbroken.
4. Cut the rest of the cabbage into bite-sized squares.
5. Mix the gochugaru, salted shrimp, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and sugar into a paste, then toss the cut cabbage, radish, pear, chestnut, jujube, spring onion and dropwort through it.
6. Line a small bowl with two of the reserved whole leaves, letting them overhang. Pack the mixture into the lined bowl, tucking an oyster and a few pine nuts into the middle.
7. Fold the overhanging leaves over the top to enclose the filling completely, then turn the parcel out — it should hold together as a neat bundle. That parcel is the whole point of bossam kimchi: it is unwrapped at the table and the contents spill out, which is why the wealthy Kaesong merchants made it this way.
8. Pack the parcels seam-side down into a crock, cover, and ferment at cool room temperature for two to three days before moving to the fridge. Eat within two weeks — the oysters mean this is not a kimchi to keep for months.

Technique

• Save the best outer leaves before you cut anything up. Torn wrapping leaves cannot be replaced once the cabbage is chopped.
• The oysters shorten its life considerably. This is a two-week kimchi, not a winter one, and it should stay refrigerated after the first few days.
• Rinse the salted cabbage properly and taste a piece. This is the step that decides whether the finished kimchi is seasoned or just salty.

Substitutions

• Leave out the oysters for a version that keeps for months.
• Anchovy sauce in place of salted shrimp.
• Apple or nashi in place of Korean pear.

Variations

• An everyday baechu kimchi uses the same seasoning without the wrapping or the luxuries.
• Some Kaesong versions add abalone or beef, which is as ostentatious as it sounds and was meant to be.

History

A Kaesong court-style kimchi from the old Goryeo capital, whose merchant wealth allowed nuts, fruit and seafood to be folded inside each cabbage bundle.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kaesong Bossam Kimchi?

Kaesong Bossam Kimchi is a fermented & pickled from North Korea: kimchi parcels wrapped in cabbage leaves around pear, chestnut, oyster and pine nuts. A Kaesong court-style kimchi from the old Goryeo capital, whose merchant wealth allowed nuts, fruit and seafood to be folded inside each cabbage bundle.

How long does Kaesong Bossam Kimchi take to make?

Kaesong Bossam Kimchi takes 2 hours plus 6 hours salting and 3 days fermenting of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes 8 parcels. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Kaesong Bossam Kimchi?

Yes, within limits. Leave out the oysters for a version that keeps for months. Anchovy sauce in place of salted shrimp. Apple or nashi in place of Korean pear.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kaesong Bossam Kimchi?

Rinse well in three changes of cold water and drain upside down for an hour. Under-rinsed cabbage makes kimchi that is simply salty; over-salted cabbage never ferments properly.