Thanks to my mom who loves to buy food in bulk, when there’s a sale, I wasn’t surprised when 4 pounds of bok choy was left in my garage one morning. In the back of my head, I was like, what in the world am I going to do with this much bok choy?? I knew what I had to do. Make kimchi!!
This Bok Choy Kimchi is going to totally surprise you with it’s deep flavor and a different type of crunch and texture from the norm!! Seriously, you are going to fall in love with this new kimchi! I know I did!! It is so refreshing, tasty, plus so good for your body!! Give it a go and you will know what I am talking about!!
when making this kimchi, anything i need to watch out for?
The brining time is very critical for success of this kimchi. If you leave it longer, the outcome will not be the same!! Trust me, I have tired 3 times!! So please set your timer on!! Also, the bok choy will let out more water as it ferments, which is normal and nothing to worry about. Using a roomy container is recommended to avoid spillage.
how did the bok choy taste different from napa cabbage?
So Bok choy has three type of texture in one, which is quite unique as a kimchi. The white root part tastes like soft sweet radish, then the stem part tastes similar to napa cabbage but less sweet, and lastly the green leafy part tastes similar to the scallion kimchi/Pa Kimchi. The green leaves have more of a chew I want to say. Nevertheless, this bok choy kimchi is definitely refreshing overall and would make a great kimchi for any season!
how did i get into kimchi making?
Growing up in the States, we were not allowed to buy premade kimchi from the stores. So the ones I ever tasted came from restaurants or various party events. Of course, none of them ever tasted the same!! I also noticed that kimchi recipe were like a family’s pride and joy. So finding a homemade tasty kimchi recipe was not easy. It saddens me a bit that I never got to learn from my grandmother and that my mom’s kimchi was always hit or miss. Despite all this, I decided to start my own kimchi journey…and yes I even gave up at one point. But about 2 years ago, I decided to go back to experimenting. And since then, thankfully, it has been quite fun and rewarding, because my kimchi actually started to taste really good! (in my opinion) So if you have zero knowledge of making kimchi right now, it’s ok, you can do it too!!
Kimchi is little tricky in my opinion because you don’t really know what it will taste like until after the fermentation. It could be just me since I have a very picky palate. Nevertheless, after my third attempt of making this Bok Choy Kimchi, I am finally ready to share the recipe to the world!! It is absolutely delicious and so addicting good!!!
when can i consume this kimchi?
On a warm summer day, you can consume this on the same day you make it, say like 5-6 hours later. The warmer temperature will allow the fermentation to take place faster. But of course, it is best to consume after 24 hours when all the flavors are infused into the bok choy. For storing, the best way is to store kimchi in an airtight sealed container for 24 hours at room temperature. Then open the lid once and close back tight again and store in the fridge. Consume within 2-3weeks. After 3 weeks, this kimchi will become very sour and bit on the bitter side.
what kind of salt shouls i use for brining?
Please please, go and purchase the coarse sea salt from the Korean Market!! You really need this to brine all the different types of kimchi. They have a different sweet/saltiness that regular salt does not provide. I want to say they tend to leave a nice clean touch to the veggies at the end? If you don’t use a sea salt, the result may vary and sometimes tend to leave a bitter taste to the vegetables. Again, these are my personal opinions.
can i adjust the spicyness? or sweetness?
Yes, you can easily modify the spiciness by adding or reducing the gochugaru amount. You can also substitute corn syrup with honey or agave syrup. Again, the flavor may vary a bit from substitution.
should i cut the bok choy into bite size?
I highly recommend leaving the bok choy in long lengths. One, for appearance and second, to keep all the flavors evenly. Once they are cut into pieces, it won’t have the same effect. They can be cut right before they are served.
you might also like:
recommended ingredients:
- Korean Corn Syrup
- Korean Anchovy Extract/Sauce
- Korean Coarse Sea Salt
- Korean Fine Sea Salt
- Korean Maesil/Plum Syrup
- Korean Gochugaru
The Best Bok Choy Kimchi
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bok choy
- 3 Tbsp Brining Water Reserved
- 1 stalks Scallions, chopped
- 1 Small Onion, julienned
Brining ingredients
- 6 cups water
- ½ cup coarse sea salt
Kimchi Seasoning
- 4 Tbsp Gochugaru/Red Hot Chili Pepper Flakes Coarse
- 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic fresh
- 1 tsp Minced Ginger
- 2 Tbsp Maesil/Plum Syrup
- 1½ Tbsp Anchovy Extract
- 3 Tbsp Corn Syrup or Sweet Rice Syrup or Oligodang
- 2 tsp Sea Salt fine
- 1 tsp Sugar
Instructions
- Slice the bruised ends of bok choy as needed while keeping the root ends attached to the stem. Cut bok choy half lengthwise, they another half length wise. Each bok choy bundle should yield 4 parts. Repeat this step to all bok choy and wash well in a large bowl. Let it sit on a strainer and set aside.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add 6 cups of water and coarse sea salt. Stir until salt is dissolved.
- Emerge bok choy into the bowl and give it a good swoosh, making sure salt water gets into each leaves. Leave in the bowl for 35min to brine.
- Make kimchi seasoning. Combine all kimchi seasoning ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
- Slice onion and chop scallions and set aside.
- When time is up, reserve 3T of Brine water and discard the rest. Rinse bok choy in a bowl of cold water in swoosh motion. Then squeeze excess water gently (without damaging the leaves) and place them into a big mixing bowl. You don't have to squeeze too hard, bok choy will be damp.
- Add to the boy choy, brine water and kimchi seasoning. Use a plastic gloves and mix everything well with hands. Again be gentle not to bruise the leaves. When all seasoning is incorporated, add scallion and onion and give it a gentle mix.
- Add kimchi into a container with an air tight lid. Leave in room temperature for 24hours. Ready to consume or store in fridge for later. Before storing in the fridge, let air out once.
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