South Korea Is Changing Kimchi So It’ll Be Less Scary For Foreigners

Kimchi is an essential dish in Korea, but the strong taste and smell have proven to be too much for some foreigners. 

In order to promote kimchi, Korean food experts have started to engineer a new type that has a weaker smell.

“Most Western people don’t like the smell of kimchi because we use of lot of garlic and ginger, and that produces a lot of sulfur compounds.” – Ha Jae-ho (Head of the Gwangju World Institute of Kimchi)

In local markets, Kimchi is often stored and sold in plastic bags.

“We’re trying to engineer the smell out of kimchi, but it’s hard because the smell is linked to its flavor.” – Lee Mi Ae (Researcher)

Kim Soon Ja, Korea’s first kimchi master, is working to come up with a new freeze-dried kimchi that doesn’t smell even after water is added.

Kimchi is used in all sorts of Korean dishes, from soups to pancakes. 

By creating a more foreigner-friendly kimchi, Korea is hoping to help spread Korean food and culture all across the world.


Source: Toronto Sun and Los Angeles Times