One of the attractions I stumbled across during my visit to Seoul was the Kimchi Museum in the COEX complex. I originally wanted to go to the aquarium but my tourmate persuaded me to take a look at this interesting museum. Admission is only a bargain price of 3000 won (US$2.6)!

From the museum website :
The Kimchi Museum was built to study the culture of Kimchi, one of the most well-known Korean foods, and provide proper information on kimchi to Koreans and foreigners. Based on the founding ideal of preserving and developing Korean traditional food, the museum has expanded and moved to the COEX in Seoul.

http://www.kimchimuseum.co.kr/english/eng01.htm

COEX
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Museum
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mmm looks so tasty! I would like one right now!

I love kimchi! Although I wouldn't be talking to people a lot after eating it. :)

bagh! i LOATH kimchi!

I had a lot of kimchi in the museum. There is an area where you can do a taste test.

looks good :D

Bossam kimchi and the garlic kind you get with Kalguksu are the best. They give a lovely kick to your breath too. :D

Lol it'd be torture if you went in on an empty stomach. :)

I LOVE kimchi. It's like tobasco, goes with almost anything.

Bossam kimchi and the garlic kind you get with Kalguksu are the best. They give a lovely kick to your breath too. :D

Aye. Bossam Kimchi is THE greatest.

Do you guys know Ko-dul-pae-gi kimchi? I believe no one knows about it. Mhahah!! That's the kimchi from the region around my hometown, South Jeolla province. That's REALLY good.

yum kimchi, its hard to get in england though :bash:
had no idea there was a whole museum dedicated to it though :)

i like the white raddish kimuchi.
i believe it's called as Kakuteki.

kakuteki? perhaps its japanese?

^^ Um no. I think he means "깍둑끼".
Btw, 물김치 is also good :)

kakuteki? perhaps its japanese?

I think he's talking about Kaktugi.

Kimuchi(X) Kimchi(0)
Katuteki(X) Kaktugi(0)

ooooooh! its kaktugi! lol

kimchie is addictive i can't live without it.

kimchi is poisonous i am prone to death from it

I don't really "love, love" kimchi unless its freshly made (then it is the greatest). Always good with plain soups tho.

^^ so true. I always dump lots and lots of kimchi into my soups to make them spicier. It makes some people freak the hell out though... I bet Ellatur will start throwing up :lol:

I rather go for a Shin-Kimchi than Fresh one made. Shin-Kimchi give you this marvelous feeling on your toungue. Kinda like orgasm in your mouth.^^

I like Shinkimchi better too. It's great for making kimchi jjigae

I rather go for a Shin-Kimchi than Fresh one made.

So do I!

For me, the Shin-er, the better :D

If u're in Korea, try the Jonga-jip Mat-kinchi, you can find it even at Family Mart and boy, it's "kimchilicious" ;)

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you people are really scaring me!!!!
i don't understand how u people can actually consume that vile stuff!

I rather go for a Shin-Kimchi than Fresh one made. Shin-Kimchi give you this marvelous feeling on your toungue. Kinda like orgasm in your mouth.^^

Haha. My mum usually just dumps the "shin-kimchi" into the kimchi jiggae
(which is really good with lots of samgyeopsal). Nice descriptions though ;)

Btw, try frying kimchi and garlic with samgyeopsal- its the beeeest :cheers:

S. Korea opens world kimchi research center (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=3&sid=&nid=3&rid=263415)

SEOUL, March 10 (PNA/Yonhap) -- South Korea opened a state-run kimchi research center Wednesday that aims to fuel demand for the spicy side dish and develop fermentation technologies needed to make future food materials.

The farm ministry said the world kimchi laboratory, set up at the Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) in Bundang, south of Seoul, will carry out detailed research on lactic acids created in the fermentation process and operate a pilot plant that can make prototype foods.

Lactic acids have shown promise because they can be used to make anti-bacterial products, high-value food additives and materials that could prevent dementia.

Kimchi is a fermented dish made by mixing pickled cabbage, radish and cucumbers with various spices and condiments such as salted fish and red pepper powder. It is eaten with almost every Korean meal and is exported to countries such as Japan.

"The laboratory can provide scientific studies and create data needed to transform kimchi into a more global dish, as well as promote overseas demand for Korean food in general," said a ministry official.

Increasing exports of Korean food and ingredients is part of a broader effort to push the country's agriculture and fisheries exports up to US$ 10 billion by 2012 from the $ 4.8 billion shipped out last year.

The center will move to Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of the capital city, with the completion of a larger facility in late 2011. (PNA/Yonhap)

Do you guys know Ko-dul-pae-gi kimchi? I believe no one knows about it. Mhahah!! That's the kimchi from the region around my hometown, South Jeolla province. That's REALLY good.

lol I love kodulpagei it's like dandelion leaf kimchi or something. I agree its madddd good

I rather go for a Shin-Kimchi than Fresh one made. Shin-Kimchi give you this marvelous feeling on your toungue. Kinda like orgasm in your mouth.^^

What's shin-kimchi?

What's shin-kimchi?

Kimchi that's gone bad or more "fermented".

^^I have tasted radish kimchi...It tastes good :okay:

I wonder, what if red pepper wasn't introduced to Korea, how would Korean cuisine be like today?

I did experience it a while ago when I went to a North korean restaurant. North korean cuisine doesn't include red pepper in its dishes ;).

The addition of red pepper to south korean cuisine is relatively recent (it occurred about 200 years ago) and didn't have time yet to conquer the entire peninsula.

Well, original Korean cuisine before Choson still had a lot of fermented food, dumplings and noodle. So I'm guessing pretty much the same stuff with much less spice.

I did experience it a while ago when I went to a North korean restaurant. North korean cuisine doesn't include red pepper in its dishes ;).

The addition of red pepper to south korean cuisine is relatively recent (it occurred about 200 years ago) and didn't have time yet to conquer the entire peninsula.

I heard it was introduced by the Portuguese in some article but I'm not sure.

South Korean firm to develop healthier kimchi
1 September 2010
AFP

A South Korean firm said Wednesday it plans to develop a healthier, low-salt version of the country's signature dish kimchi in line with global trends.

Kimchi, a fiercely spiced mixture of pickled cabbage, radish and cucumbers, is prized for its healthy ingredients -- apart from the salt.

Daesang FNF said it would reduce the salinity rate to 1.6 grammes of salt for every 100 grammes of kimchi next year, compared to an average 2.0 grammes currently and 2.5 grammes over 20 years ago.

The government has been working to globalise Korean food including kimchi.

"In order for kimchi to appeal to foreigners as a healthy food, it is necessary to lower the level of salt," said a spokeswoman for Daesang FNF.

"The amount of sodium will differ but the taste will be the same as the original flavour."

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that Koreans consume more than double the World Health Organisation's recommended daily intake of salt, putting them at risk of ailments such as hypertension.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration is working to cut the sodium rate in food but kimchi is not a priority.

"Although kimchi can be salty, it is not considered unhealthy," an administration official told AFP. "The salty flavor is important, although it shouldn't be too much."

The side dish has its own museum in Seoul and an annual festival, and was even blasted into space with the country's first astronaut in 2008.