Lily's Flavor Journal

This recipe is probably my favorite recipe to make out of everything I have tried so far. Kimchi Jjigae is a dish originating in South Korea and I learned how to make it in my very first cooking class. 

The woman who taught me this recipe was born and raised in South Korea and told me it was often made the day after drinking alcohol because it helps to reset your gut health back to where it needs to be. This has a lot to do with the vegetables, specifically cabbage, that are in the soup and the fermentation that kimchi goes through before being added to this meal. 

Many people prefer their kimchi to be extra fermented for this recipe. For those who are not the biggest fans of kimchi, do not worry, for cooking kimchi completely changes the flavor.

For this recipe I used:

Half a cup of kimchi

Half an onion

1 tbs of minced garlic

⅓ cup of mushrooms

Sesame oil

1 tbs Gochujang

1 tsp Red pepper flakes

1 tsp Rice vinegar

1 tsp Soy sauce

1 tsp Beef powder

Spam

Oodon noodles

You first add your onions, kimchi and garlic to the pot with some sesame oil to sautee the vegetables. Cook these until the onions are translucent and the garlic has browned.

You will then add 3 cups of chicken stock, beef stock or water. I used water and received the extra flavor that the stock would supplement with my beef powder.

Once your soup comes to a boil, add your mushrooms and any other ingredients you would like to include. This is another versatile recipe that is made in a number of ways. Many people like to add meat and noodles to their stew, which is often added in this step.

I decided to add spam and oodon noodles to this recipe. While you wait for your noodles and meats to cook through, you will add your gochujang, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, soy sauce and beef powder.

I often enjoy this meal when I do not want to leave the house because I always have these ingredients, however I understand that most people in the United States do not. All of these ingredients can be found at an international or asian market.

Pictured within this blog post is my friend Dani, who is trying this recipe for the first time. She was very surprised to find out that the recipe did not include any tomatoes after commenting that it looked and smelled like tomatoes. She said that she enjoyed this recipe and not only finished her bowl, but took some home with her as well.