what is kimjiang? the art of kimchi making

Ive been thinking a lot about what it means to be Korean. Growing up, my parents would get made fun of at work for their smelly foods, so they would never let me bring kimchi to school. And at school, I wasnt Korean enough, so they called me twinkie. Its funny how some things havent changed at all (can a vegan really be Korean? they ask with barely disguised contempt), but how other things have. Namelyme. I used to care about people making fun of my smelly food and now, Im making kimchi in the front yard of my predominantly non-Korean suburban culdesac with my entire family. Identity is tricky, especially when there are so many people who are willing to tell you Youre not American enough, Youre not Korean enough.
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Youre not enough.
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My heart is as multidimensional as this kimchi. My heart is held by every single person in this video who used their hands to make this kimchi. My heart is salty, spicy, sweet, and heavy.
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My mother cracks it open with her bare hands to reveal my secrets.
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The secret to a good kimchi is the salting. Do not UNDERESTIMATE the amount of salt you add to each and every leaf. And make sure to get down to the thick parts and press the salt right in. I also dont skip on the fishy sauce. Vegan kimchi doesnt have to be tasteless kimchi. You can find the recipe for my vegan fishy sauce (about which my mom once whispered to herself in Korean: wait that really tastes like fish sauce how is that possible?) below. Watch the whole video on my YT.
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1 1/2 cup soy sauce
4 to 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 to 3 handfuls enoki mushrooms
2 shallots, rough chopped, peel preserved
4 cloves garlic, peel preserved
5 square inches dashima (dried kelp)
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp black peppercorns

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Discard the veggies and continue to simmer the sauce until it reduces by half (about 1 hour). Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth.
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Thanks to @jslreview for filming!
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#kimchi #kimjiang #koreanfood

Joanne Lee Molinaro is a Korean American trial lawyer, New York Times best-selling author, James Beard Award-winner, and host of the Are You Ready podcast. With nearly 5 million fans spread across her social media platforms, Joanne has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, PBS, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She's been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, and CNN; and her debut cookbook was selected as one of The Best Cookbooks of 2021 by The New York Times and The New Yorker among others.

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