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| Kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish of fermented vegetables / gettyimagesbank |
By Lee Yeon-woo
A Korean food scholar presented three major differences between Korean kimchi and Chinese pao cai at a food culture conference in Seoul, Friday, countering a Chinese movement to claim kimchi as its culture.
The Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) organized the conferenced under the theme of Korean food culture and its history to discuss the history and characteristics of Korean traditional food such as rice, liquor and fermented paste.
The centerpiece of the conference was a presentation on kimchi, a staple in Korean cuisine. The fermented vegetable dish is embroiled in a controversy over its origin as some Chinese online users claim that Korea's kimchi originated from China's pao cai.
Salting vegetables is one of the oldest and most popular ways to preserve food and fermented vegetables are enjoyed in many nations in different ways ― pao cai in China, sauerkraut in Germany, acharr in India, and many more.
"There are various pieces of historical evidence that can prove kimchi is different from pao cai," researcher Park Chae-rin from the World Institute of Kimchi said during her presentation.
Park said kimchi and pao cai can be distinguished by three major characteristics ― the way of fermentation, the spices used in seasonings and the way they are consumed.
"Kimchi has more than 200 kinds of microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast," Park said, adding that kimchi is fermented in a breathable jar, while pao cai is stored in an air-tight jar that controls microorganisms' activities.
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| Researcher Park Chae-rin from the World Institute of Kimchi makes a presentation about how kimchi is different from pao cai in a conference hosted by the Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of NAHF |
Park noted another difference that kimchi uses "jeotgal," salt-fermented seafood made of the meat and roe of fish or shellfish, as its main seasoning. In this way, kimchi contains nutrients not only from vegetables, but also from animals. Pao cai, on the other hand, only adds Chinese pepper, star anise, laurel, and dried red pepper as its seasonings ― all vegetables.
Koreans also eat "mulkimchi" (kimchi in broth) such as dongchimi (radish water kimchi) and nabak kimchi (cabbage and radish water kimchi).
"Even though salted vegetables can be commonly found worldwide to store them longer, it is rare to consume the broth of fermented vegetables and mulkimchi is the only kind with edible broth," according to Park.
However, Park pointed out that her research does not judge whether a certain culture is more superior to another.
"I cannot say which food is technically more developed or better by this research. As a researcher who has studied kimchi for a long time, I wanted to highlight the difference between the two with historical evidence," Park said.
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