White kimchi wins Texans’ hearts

Jay MacLean, left, the presenter of baek kimchi (white kimchi), beams as Sharp Kimn, second from left, the former director of the Korea Cultural Center in Houston, helps the kimchi workshop attendees get fermented kimchi at the end of the event held at the Asia Society Texas Center, March 29. Courtesy of Jay McLean

On March 29, the Asia Society Texas Center drew a diverse crowd of attendees — from engineers at global consulting firm McKinsey to ballerinas and students from Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin. They gathered there for a kimchi workshop, the first of its kind at the center.

The program proved far more popular than expected. “Initially we had planned to host a small, intimate workshop, but due to overwhelming demand we had to increase our capacity,” Matthew Fuller, the center’s director of business and policy, said. “We ended up selling out the event and welcoming 70 guests.”

Fuller said attendees responded enthusiastically. “They really enjoyed learning about kimchi and Korean culture, as well as the many Korean snacks and drinks we prepared,” he said.

The workshop marked a memorable experience for many participants. “It was the first time many of our guests made kimchi, and they had a lot of fun learning. Everyone went home with their own jar of baek kimchi (white kimchi),” Fuller added. “We received incredible feedback afterward, and we’re planning another workshop in the fall.”

The workshop's success reflects a growing interest in Korean food in the U.S.

The idea for the event originated two years ago, when Fuller attended a kimchi-making demonstration at the Korean Festival Houston. There, he was impressed by Korean American presenter Jay MacLean and the strong audience response she drew. “She is an excellent cultural ambassador,” he said.

Although Fuller invited MacLean multiple times to collaborate on a workshop at the Asia Society Texas Center, she initially declined before finally accepting earlier this year.

At the workshop, the organizers chose to highlight baek kimchi rather than the more widely known spicy variety. “I consider white kimchi the mother of kimchi because it is what Koreans have enjoyed since ancient times,” MacLean said, before giving a lecture on its history and demonstrating the preparation process.

While white kimchi has been a staple of Korean cuisine for thousands of years, MacLean noted that the spicy version familiar to many today has a relatively recent history, becoming widespread only in the 20th century.

Red chili peppers were first introduced to Korea from Portugal via Japan in the 18th century, but they became widely available to ordinary Koreans only after the 1960s, when botanist Woo Jang-choon developed improved seed varieties for key crops, including peppers.

Reflecting on her personal connection to kimchi, MacLean described how deeply it has shaped her life. She recalled her time as a United Nations volunteer in the Middle East 26 years ago, when she longed for the taste of home.

“There was canned kimchi imported from Korea. As delicious as it was, it wasn’t enough to satisfy my craving for the authentic taste I missed,” she said. “I still vividly remember the excitement of finding napa cabbage, garlic and chili peppers in markets in Amman, Jordan. I was determined to make kimchi.”

She improvised by using a hotel bathtub to prepare it. “I cleared the tub and made kimchi there, then brought it with me all the way to Dubai,” she said.

For MacLean, kimchi represents more than a daily side dish — it is a cornerstone of Korean food culture.

“Everyone gathered together — salting and rinsing cabbages, mixing seasonings, and sharing stories as we worked side by side,” she said, recalling the communal tradition of kimchi-making in her childhood. “After a long day of preparation, the meal we shared together tasted especially wonderful.”

During the workshop, MacLean demonstrated the process by layering cabbage, radishes, cucumbers and red bell peppers in a glass jar, adding sugar, salt, starch and sauces. She also shared kimchi she had fermented at home three days earlier, giving participants a chance to taste the finished product. “There was zero waste — people loved it,” she said.

Attendees echoed her enthusiasm. Dev Jaiswal, a McKinsey engineer, said it was his first time trying baek kimchi, adding that he enjoys Korean food. Another attendee, Phillip Ma, who described himself as a kimchi enthusiast, said he was particularly fascinated by its historical context. “I was excited to learn how chili peppers traveled from Portugal to Korea via Japan,” he said.

Encouraged by the strong response, MacLean said she plans to continue collaborating with the Asia Society Texas Center to introduce more aspects of Korean cuisine. She said she is a proud Korean and that, like her, many Koreans living abroad volunteer as civilian diplomats or cultural ambassadors, describing them as unsung heroes behind the meteoric rise of Korean culture around the world.

Fuller emphasized that the center’s mission is to promote cultural exchange by celebrating the diversity of Asia and Asian American experiences. “We will continue to host programs and events that showcase Korean culture,” he said.

Jay MacLean poses with white kimchi ingredients at the Asia Society Texas Center in Houston, March 29. Courtesy of Jay MacLean