'Tis the Season

...the season of  KIM JANG.
"Jang" loosely translates to season and "kim" is short for.....you guessed it! Kimchi. November is the month that Koreans make a YEAR's WORTH of kimchi.

All spring and summer different types of cabbage, radish and various other roots and greens are grown so that come late fall they can all be harvested, packed with spicy red bean paste, and left to rot in clay jars/plastic containers for all to enjoy every day of the following year. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

yummy yummy in my tummy

 Now, for those not living in rural Korea, the clay pots of old are out. For anyone who has ever tried kimchi, you know that it smells. Whether you like the taste or not, it STINKS. So...with no backyard for clay pots to store gallons of fermenting cabbage, how do you keep your house from smelling up a storm?

Enter the kimchi fridge

Yes, they make refrigerators specifically for kimchi. While most Koreans who decide to splurge on this usually just buy a smaller, one or two drawer fridge, there are enormous ones on the market, for all of your kimchi needs. Considering the strong stench, it seems like a good investment to me since kimchi makes everything else in your fridge smell as well.

Happy kim jang! Now if the lunch room could PLEASE start putting out the fresh stuff, this year-old kimchi is getting really pungent!!