{"id":6745,"date":"2016-04-07T18:46:23","date_gmt":"2016-04-08T01:46:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/?p=6745"},"modified":"2021-05-03T14:27:37","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T21:27:37","slug":"korean-easy-kimchi-recipe-aka-mak-kimchi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/korean-easy-kimchi-recipe-aka-mak-kimchi\/","title":{"rendered":"Korean Easy Kimchi Recipe aka Mak Kimchi"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Easy
Easy Kimchi aka Mak Kimchi (\ub9c9\uae40\uce58) with green onion flowers from my garden!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have been wanting to do a post on Mak Kimchi for a while but somehow it just kept staying on my to do list. Hmm… I’m sure you have had instances where you tend to procrastinate on certain things more than others and then never really think why you are doing it. Until, you actually do it and then realize that it was NOT so hard to do.. so why did you NOT DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE???<\/p>\n

So I thought about it and I think it’s because I never really liked Mak Kimchi<\/strong> as much as Tong Baechu Kimchi. You may ask, what’s the difference?? The word Mak (\ub9c9) basically means ‘haphazardly, roughly, carelessly’ which then also hints that it is much easier to make and is meant to be an everyday Kimchi in the Korean home. So instead of brining the cabbage in halves and stuffing in between leaves as it is done in Tong Baechu Kimchi (\ud1b5\ubc30\ucd94\uae40\uce58)<\/strong>, cabbages and radishes are cut into pieces and then just mixed with the seasoning. Tong Baechu means ‘whole cabbage’ and as you can imagine, it is a lot more work than Mak Kimchi. But to me, it always tasted sooo much better.<\/p>\n

Somehow the cut cabbages in Mak Kimchi always lacked crunch and flavor which meant the overall Kimchi also tasted kind of dead<\/em> when compared to the uncut cabbage kimchi version or tong baechu kimchi. That uniquely special zing was missing…And my problem is that I have a really hard time blogging about something that I am not totally excited about. So I just kept coming up with excuses why I should cook and blog something else and not this great easy everyday kimchi called Mak Kimchi.<\/p>\n

Well, I finally have an Easy Cabbage Kimchi recipe that I’m excited to share!!!<\/p>\n

I made this Easy Mak Kimchi last week but I had to wait to see how it tasted to make sure it was delicious as I thought it was going to be. And then, it just so happened that last weekend, all of my 3 sisters flew into my area for a sister’s reunion. So I was able to have all of my 3 sisters taste and critique my new recipe and I am proud to say that all of my 3 sisters and even my husband loved it!! I only wish I had worked on this recipe long time ago~<\/p>\n

Before we get to the recipe, a friendly reminder~~<\/p>\n

PLEASE ripen all your Kimchi properly!!<\/h4>\n

Otherwise, no matter how great the recipe, the Kimchi will not taste good if it’s not fully ripened. And as I\u00a0 wrote in my No Crazy Kimchi <\/a>post, you have to find your personal preference of how you like your Kimchi. Kimchi goes from unripe, to just ripe, to slightly sour and then pretty sour stage. Depending on your palate, you may like your Kimchi at different stages so taste it every couple days to see when you like it the best.<\/p>\n

Refer to my No Crazy Kimchi<\/a> post for details but roughly, for this Easy Kimchi, I let it ripen for 2 days at room temperature of 70\u00b0 F\/21\u00b0 C and then it was all ready to eat. If the weather is warmer, shorten the time. 1 day may be enough in the summer so check every 4-6 hours. If it’s colder, you may need to leave it out longer. Also, if you want to ferment Kimchi more slowly at a colder temperature like Kimjang Kimchi then leave it out for overnight or one day and then ferment over several days in the fridge. The overall fermentation time also depends on the salt level of your kimchi so adjust time by checking for ripening signs and taste instead of using absolute time.<\/p>\n

Tips for making crunchy, flavorful and zingy Easy Kimchi:<\/h4>\n