Beginning Winter with Kimjang (Traditional Korean Kimchi-Making)
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Chef Jeon Ho-je recalls the seasonal ritual of kimjang—the communal preparation and preservation of kimchi that signals the start of winter in Korea. He describes receiving homemade kimchi from relatives, memories of large family kimchi-making days in the 1980s, neighborhood cooperation (pumasi) where households took turns hosting multi-day kimjang sessions, and the special foods served then like oyster bossam and cabbage soup. Different regional styles of kimchi reflect family hometowns, and sharing freshly fermented kimchi strengthened neighborhood bonds. Although fewer families now make large batches, about six in ten households still do some kimjang, helped this year by lower vegetable prices. Kimjang remains a meaningful way to prepare for winter and connect communities.
