Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
Kimchi jjigae — the stew made from aged kimchi — is the preparation that most Koreans consider the essential comfort food of their cuisine: deeply flavoured, slightly sour, spicy, and rich with pork, tofu, and the complex fermentation character of old kimchi. The key insight is that old, well-fermented kimchi — the kind that's been in the back of the refrigerator for months and is too sour to eat fresh — makes the best jjigae. The acidity from extended fermentation breaks down slightly during cooking, mellowing from sharp sourness to a complex, rounded tang that forms the backbone of the stew. Fresh kimchi makes a pale, underdeveloped jjigae; aged kimchi makes an extraordinary one. Pork belly or pork shoulder (fatty cuts that enrich the broth) and soft tofu are the standard additions; the dish is simmered until the kimchi is completely soft and the pork is yielding.
Ten in town · two not yet within reach.
- In town
- 10 · kimchi (napa cabbage), pork belly or shoulder, firm tofu, korean radish (daikon), garlic cloves, fresh ginger, tellicherry black pepper, sesame oil, sea salt, shiitake mushrooms
- Not yet within reach
- 2 · anchovy or kombu dashi stock, gochugaru paste (or 10g gochugaru mixed with 5ml water)
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