Dongchimi
Encyclopedia
Dongchimi is a variety of kimchi
consisting of daikon
, baechu
(hangul
: 배추, Chinese cabbage
), spring onions, fermented
green chili
, ginger
, bae
(hangul
배: Korean pear) and watery brine
in Korean cuisine. As the name dong (hangul
: 동; hanja
: 冬; literally "winter") and chimi (hangul
: 치미, an ancient term for kimchi), suggests, this kimchi is traditionally consumed during the winter season.
Dongchimi is fermented like other varieties of kimchi, but its maturing period is relatively short (2-3 days). Although it can be made at any time of the year, it is usually made during the gimjang
season. The northern regions consisting of Hamgyeong-do and Pyeongan-do in North Korea
are particularly famous for their dongchimi.
The clear and clean taste of the watery dongchimi is used as a soup for making dongchimi guksu (동치미국수 cold noodle soup made with dongchimi) and naengmyeon
, or served with tteok
or steamed sweet potato
es to balance out the rich flavors.
Radish and baechu stuffed with ingredients such as julienned radish, Korean chives, red peppers, garlic, and ginger is pickled in brine. Kelp stock is added for deep flavor before fermentation.
Bamboo leaves and haszing duu are used as main ingredients, giving the dongchimi a crisp and clean taste while adding texture. The fermentation process takes longer than other varieties of dongchimi due to its lower sodium content but it can also be stored much longer. It is a local specialty of South Jeolla province.
Made from small radish, yuja, pomegranate
, and Korean pears are added for a fragrant version.
There are many other variations depending on region and personal taste.
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
consisting of daikon
Daikon
Daikon , Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also called White Radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish, Chinese radish, lo bok and Mooli , is a mild flavoured, very large, white East Asian radish...
, baechu
Chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage can refer to two distinct varieties of Chinese leaf vegetables used often in Chinese cuisine. These vegetables are both related to the Western cabbage, and are of the same species as the common turnip...
(hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 배추, Chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage can refer to two distinct varieties of Chinese leaf vegetables used often in Chinese cuisine. These vegetables are both related to the Western cabbage, and are of the same species as the common turnip...
), spring onions, fermented
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
green chili
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
, ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, bae
Pyrus pyrifolia
Pyrus pyrifolia is a pear tree species native to China, Japan, and Korea. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Japanese pear, Taiwan pear, and sand pear.....
(hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
배: Korean pear) and watery brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
in Korean cuisine. As the name dong (hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 동; hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 冬; literally "winter") and chimi (hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 치미, an ancient term for kimchi), suggests, this kimchi is traditionally consumed during the winter season.
Dongchimi is fermented like other varieties of kimchi, but its maturing period is relatively short (2-3 days). Although it can be made at any time of the year, it is usually made during the gimjang
Gimjang
Gimjang , also spelled kimjang, is the traditional process of preparation and preservation of kimchi, the spicy Korean pickled vegetable dish, in the wintertime. During the summer months, Kimchi is made fresh, from seasonal vegetables...
season. The northern regions consisting of Hamgyeong-do and Pyeongan-do in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
are particularly famous for their dongchimi.
The clear and clean taste of the watery dongchimi is used as a soup for making dongchimi guksu (동치미국수 cold noodle soup made with dongchimi) and naengmyeon
Naengmyeon
Naengmyeon is a Korean dish of long and thin hand-made noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients: buckwheat , potatoes, sweet potatoes, 칡냉면, naengmyun made with the starch from arrowroot , and kudzu...
, or served with tteok
Tteok
Tteok is a class of Korean rice cakes made with glutinous rice flour , by steaming. Normal rice flour can be used for some kinds of tteok. There are hundreds of different kinds of tteok eaten year round...
or steamed sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
es to balance out the rich flavors.
Ingredients
Radish is the most important ingredient in dongchimi. Red peppers are also used, but dongchimi has a less spicy taste than other types of kimchi. Leaf mustard, garlics, gingers and leeks, as well as other salted ingredients may be included.Types
- Baechu dongchimi (Cabbage dongchimi, 배추동치미)
Radish and baechu stuffed with ingredients such as julienned radish, Korean chives, red peppers, garlic, and ginger is pickled in brine. Kelp stock is added for deep flavor before fermentation.
- Daenamu dongchimi (Bamboo dongchimi, 대나무동치미)
Bamboo leaves and haszing duu are used as main ingredients, giving the dongchimi a crisp and clean taste while adding texture. The fermentation process takes longer than other varieties of dongchimi due to its lower sodium content but it can also be stored much longer. It is a local specialty of South Jeolla province.
- Gungjung dongchimi (Royal dongchimi, 궁중 동치미)
Made from small radish, yuja, pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
, and Korean pears are added for a fragrant version.
There are many other variations depending on region and personal taste.
External links
- Cooking video : Dongchimi at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea
- General information an recipe about dongchimi from The Korea Foundation
- Brief information and recipe about dongchimi
- Brief information and recipe about dongchimi
- Brief information about dongchimi and other kimchi Recipe of dongchimi from Munhwa Ilbo (Newspaper) Kimchi EXPO 2007 General information an recipe about dongchimi