1) Ingredients for kimchi 2) Slice and wash kimchi cabbages and soak in salt water. 3) Clean the bottoms of the cabbages. 4) Mix seasonings with salted and fermented fish. 5) Spread seasonings evenly between the cabbage leaves. 6) Wrap the whole cabbage and store in a cool place.
The ingredients of kimchi vary according to each region and its special local produce and traditions. Seoul, for instance, is famous for gungjung kimchi (royal kimchi), bossam kimchi (wrapped kimchi), chonggak kimchi (whole radish kimchi), and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), while Jeolla-do (Jeolla Province) is well known for its godeulppaegi kimchi (Korean lettuce kimchi) and gat kimchi (leaf mustard kimchi).
In 2001, the Codex Alimentarius Commission listed Korean kimchi in the internationally recognized standards, and in 2012 officially recognized the term “kimchi cabbage,” which had previously been referred to as “Chinese cabbage” until then. In 2006, a US health magazine, Health Magazine, selected kimchi as one of the five healthiest foods on earth.