Osan, local community work together for common goal: Kimchi

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chad Thompson
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  It's one of Korea's staple foods, and Health magazine named it one of the top five "world's healthiest foods" for being rich in vitamins, aiding digestion and possibly reducing cancer growth. What is it? It's kimchi.

As part of the Good Neighbor Program, Osan and local community members came together Nov. 28 and 29 to prepare nearly 6,000 pounds of kimchi for the holidays in order to help those less fortunate in Songtan.

About 200 volunteers helped chop, wash, prep, mix and box nearly 420, 15-pound boxes of kimchi, which will go to 420 local families.

Pastor Pae, Koksoon, of the Songtan Central Baptist Church, said this event could not be possible without the help of all the volunteers.

"Preparing this much kimchi takes a lot of work," he said.

Cabbage covered the front of the building and other ingredients were stacked and pilled everywhere inside the church.

Volunteers mixed, washed and readied the cabbage outside while others were getting the spices and paste ready inside, which gives the kimchi its great flavor.

It was a synchronized chaos for a great cause that Pae said the members of Songtan Central Baptist Church have been doing for about 22 years.

Kimchi has a unique smell that is difficult to explain and for some people it's an acquired taste, but Pae said it's a must to at least try some while visiting Korea because of the great benefits it has.

Some benefits of kimchi include:
--Rich in vitamins and minerals
--Low in calories
--Calms the stomach
--Activates body control functions
--Helps prevent cancer

For those interested in making their own batch, here is a simple recipe for kimchi.

The ingredients needed to make kimchi:
--2 ½ pounds of napa cabbage
--A half cup of kosher salt
--A walnut-sized knob of grated ginger
--4 cloves of crushed garlic
--1 bunch of minced scallions
--2 tablespoons of sugar
--2 tablespoons of crushed red chili pepper
--2 finely minced jalapeños
--A large glass or plastic bowl
--2 to 3 one-pint glass canning jars
--Plastic wrap
--Rubber bands

How to make kimchi:
1. Wash the cabbage and then chop it coarsely. Toss it in a bowl with salt and let it sit over night.
2. Drain the water off the cabbage and then rinse it very well to remove any excess salt.
3. In a large glass or plastic bowl (don't use metal), mix together the ginger, chili peppers and jalapenos. Then add the well-drained cabbage. Toss the ingredients thoroughly to coat the vegetables. Save the juice that accumulates in the bottom of the bowl.
4. Pack the mixture tightly in sterile glass jars and cover with the juice. Add water if necessary to achieve about one inch of headroom in the jars. Cover the tops with plastic wrap secured with a rubber band.
5. Keep the kimchi in the refrigerator for about three days before eating.

For more information about the Good Neighbor Program visit http://www.goodneighbor.or.kr/index.php?str_block=eng.