As someone mentioned above, there are thousands of different kimchi recipes. That being said, there is a very high likelihood that there was some fish sauce in the stuff you had at a Korean restaurant. It’s like a slightly fishier-tasting soy sauce.
Oh, well, I barely passed that class, so there you go. 
I’m an extremely picky eater who has never tried kimchi, and if food smells bad, that’s usually an additional reason for me not to try it (I don’t even like being near hard-boiled eggs, for example. P.U.!)
I’m wondering if I’d hate the smell of kimchi. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled it. There is a local food court restaurant called Kimchi (so I guess they sell it), but it either doesn’t smell too bad, or the other food court odors cover up the smell.
In any case, I’m willing to bet that I’d like the smell of kimchi better than the smell of McDonald’s food. :rolleyes:
I eat vegetarian kimchi with no seafood ingredients and have gotten complaints for just opening the jar, let alone eating it and then kissing someone.
What brand? I’ve looked for vegetarian kimchi, but haven’t found any that are truly vegetable only. (I don’t trust a lot of Korean labeling. I’ve found “vegetarian” products that have clam or mussels in them, and “sugar-free” products sweetened with honey or high-fructose corn syrup.) I’ve tried making it myself for my veggie friends, but it’s even harder to get the flavor right than non-vegetarian kimchi.
Sunja’s. I find it at Whole Foods. It’s the only vegetarian brand I can find that is good. All I can find at Giant stores is King’s, which tastes lousy—avoid it. I was at Super H Mart today and looked all through their kimchi, of which they have enormous amounts and varieties, but not a bit of it was vegetarian. Just fish, shrimp, or oyster.
You guys can buy kimchi in grocery stores? That’s it, between my inability to buy hot salsa, and the unavailability of kimchi, I’m moving to the US!
Where else would you buy it?
I think you just need to move to a bigger city, not a different country.
They aren’t in standard grocery stores around here (Atlanta), I don’t think. I have to go to one of the many International/Asian/Korean mega marts around town to get it.
Thanks! I rarely shop at Whole Foods (like once or twice a year to buy a whole bird), but I’ll look for it next time I’m there (like next week 
). It never crossed my mind to look for kimchi there.
Next time you’re in the grocery store, look near the tofu… I betcha they have some. I’m in freaking Maine, where Mexican food is exotic, and I can usually find Kimchi in the store.
I made my first trip to Korea in October of 1987. The country was gearing up for the 88 Olympic Games so the Kimpo Airport in Seoul was undergoing some serious renovation. It was an Indian summer that year, and as we were leaving the tarmac, we had to ride this enormous freight elevator to customs.
I was in there with about 50 or 60 local nationals and the elevator quickly heated up past the 80 or so degrees it was outside. After several minutes, I started to feel a tingle in my nose, like a sneeze was rolling around in there. It got worse.
The odor that assaulted my nose was so much more than simple BO, so much more than garlic. It was as is Lucifer himself had decided to create a brimstone, skunk and ass infused breeze to give us all a glimpse of hell. That elevator ride seemed like it took two weeks to go four floors, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Cut to that evening, when all the new troops at my unit were taken out for a traditional Korean meal. It was delicious, Bibimbap, Bulgogi, some kind of soup that tasted like honey and rainbows. Then the kimchi came out. I got one whiff of the odor coming out of the bowls and had to physically restrain myself from gagging. It was the smell from the airport earlier that day, coming from the pores of my fellow travelers.
I’ve never been able to eat kimchi. Just can’t do it.
I have to go to an Asian store, but yeah, they have it.
I’ll check it out.
We’re not talking Whole Foods here, right? Just a regular Kroger-type store?
I know that the Albertson’s grocery store in Bozeman, MT carried kimchi, but given that it was made by the same local restaurant that I mentioned, that probably doesn’t generalize well.
For me it’s hit or miss, but our big local grocery, Jewel (owned by Albertson’s) has it, also near the tofu, in the produce section.
Also, Costco has it, at least around here.
Nope, just the regular grocery store down the road (in this case Hanniford’s). Sometimes they’re out, as I imagine it isn’t a big seller hereabouts. But they usually have it.
Cool. Thanks guys. I’ll check it out next time I’m there.
In what section or area does your Costco stock it? I’m about 100% sure our Costco doesn’t have it. We do have a “Chinatown” in Ottawa though where I might be successful in finding some. (It’s in quotes because it’s more of a Viet Nam town, but you know how these labels work.)
Also we have a relatively new huge T&T supermarket I’m going to check out. I want kimchi!