Gimjang (김장) — the time to make Kimchi

Sometime in November or early December, Koreans make large quantities of Kimchi (김치) — a spicy Korean side dish created from salted, fermented vegetables, usually cabbage.

Since Kimchi is the core of Korean cuisine, Gimjang (김장) season is a very important day to prepare it for the upcoming year.

Now, it’s the time for families to gather on a weekend for Gimjang, the annual Kimchi-making. Gimjang tasks usually last for 2 to 3 days. Depending on the size of the family, 100 to 200 cabbages are used.

The cabbages are soaked in salt first and then people fill them out with a spice mixture made with vegetables such as radish, red pepper powder, green onions and garlic.

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