Sprinting for what?

Kimchi.  I'm sprinting for Kimchi.

For my parents, coworkers and friends who have been asking me what Kimchi is and why it's in my title.

Kimchi (김치), pictured to the left, is a traditional fermented food (1,000s of years old) that many Koreans would prepare in the fall and store in clay pots in the ground so they would have vegetables during the winter months.  There are many different types of Kimchi (for each time of year) but the most common consists of nappa cabbage usually with green onion, cucumber and radish with chilies.  Some regions of Korea put different seasoning and sometimes seafood like oysters (extra yummy).  Kimchi is one of the most important parts of Korean cuisine and it is usually served in a tiny dish to the side, the many tiny dishes served with every meal are called banchan (반찬).  Kimchi can also be found in many other forms as stews called chigae (찌개), pancakes called cheon (전), etc,.  

Every Korean I've talked to so far absolutely love Kimchi and the older generation will tell you that Kimchi is the healthiest food on the planet.  I've heard that it eliminates all cholesterol, promotes intestinal health (that definitely is true), lowers chances of cancer, etc,.  I do agree that kimchi is very healthy compared to a lot of the food ingested by Americans but moderation is key.  I could imagine kimchi giving stomach ulcers if too much is consumed.

Verdict:

I have eaten Kimchi on many occasions and I love it.  Whenever I go to a Korean market I like to get a 3lb tub of it or at every Korean restaurant I go to I'll receive a little serving no matter what I order (there are a few exceptions).  So how does it taste you ask?  You either seem to love it or hate it.  The best way to describe the taste is to imagine an acidic taste followed by a lingering spicy taste.  Once Kimchi makes its way to my stomach I get a very warm fuzzy feeling that I absolutely love.  Sort of like the feeling you get after eating Grandma's Thanksgiving dinner, but without the horrible insulin crash.  And it's good for you to boot.

Now to the negatives.  The smell deters many.  At first the smell is what you would a fermented cabbage to smell like.  The smell can sometimes be unnoticeable, if it's extremely fresh.  Wait a couple of weeks after the Kimchi has fermented some more and it smells close to death (not quite as bad as Durian).  The taste gets quite acidic the longer you have it.  Yes, it makes your breath smell like death as well.  

Kimchi, like I said previously, is a staple of Korean diet so it is eaten morning, noon and night.  The only exception I've heard so far is at lunch time as they don't want to have smelly breath.  I've heard that Koreans brush their teeth after lunch to combat the pungent stench of many foods they eat so they don't scare away clients or coworkers.  I'm curious to experience what Koreans actually do, especially in a school setting.  Do they serve Kimchi (I'm sure) and do all the staff and students brush their teeth or do they not do that in the country side?

Heres a video on how to make kimchi.

Now hopefully the title of my blog makes sense.