By Kim See-bong

When we Koreans are asked to decide on a food that is most characteristic of Korean cuisine, the most common choice is sure to be kimchi. Today on the strength of hallyu (Korea wave), kimchi is known to the world as an extraordinarily healthy side dish.

A few years ago when the whole world was terrified by SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), we were comparatively safe from it and the reason was attributed to the kimchi we eat every day. Besides, the way kimchi is made and preserved indicates how wise and scientific our ancestors were.

A long time ago when there were no refrigerators to store food for a long time, our forefathers were wise enough to use salt to preserve vegetables, so that they could relish them for a long time. After preserving vegetables in salt, they seasoned them with other spices and let it undergo fermentation and diversify its kind and flavor depending on seasonal vegetables. So there are more than twenty or so different kinds of kimchi.

However, the method of preparation is designed in common for maximum efficiency of the flavor of each distinctive seasonal vegetable. In winter it is made for longer preservation and in summer it is made for serving right away.

Today among a variety of kimchi, I'd like to bring up the myth of buchu kimchi (leek kimchi) to the attention of kimchi lovers. There was a woman who was sent to hell after death. She had to go through all pain imaginable in hellfire.

Unable to endure she complained to God, ``Why are you tormenting me so hard? I can't take it anymore. Please, lift me up to heaven." After some consideration, God accepted her complaint and dropped her a leek and said, ``Take this and climb it up to heaven."

After taking it, she grumbled to God, ``This is too short and how can I climb this up to heaven?" At this complaint God said to her, "So short is the good you did while you were alive. You deserve only as much as you did while dead."

At this the woman looked back upon how she had lived her life. All the wrongs she did to her neighbors, friends and even to her parents-in law came alive to her mind. She repented and with the short leeks God gave her she made kimchi repenting for her past life. Deep penitence came home to her each moment she moved her hands to make kimchi or to eat them. Each chewing of the kimchi was a reflection of her repentance.

Each time she fumbled with the leek, she begged God's pardon. The contrition is still going on, yet still unable to climb up to heaven. Hence buchu kimchi is a kimchi of repentance.

Our forefathers were so humane and humble before the order of nature. They were very theosophic and even the tiniest things we eat or live with in this world was regarded as the manifestations of the will of nature. They embraced nature and heaven and God all in a bosom and called them Heaven. They owed all they enjoy in life to Heaven. Even the suffering of poverty they were born with, they attributed to the Providence of Heaven.

Buchu kimchi is designed for the reflection of life based upon belief in Heaven or love for nature. So the moment we eat it, we are digesting the whole virtue of life. So pious were our ancestors. And even from a tiny bit of leek they tried to listen to the sound of Heaven.

The writer is principal of Polyglot Day School in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province. His email address is glsacademy@dreamwiz.com.