# What do I do with this kimchi? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940 "2014-04-12T15:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/1 "2014-04-12T15:15:07Z")
Wandering the cooler section of Safeway yesterday I saw a small container of kimchi. I don’t know what inspired me to pick it up. I could smell it through the plastic container. For some reason I then put it in my basket and bought it. Now it’s sitting in my fridge and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it. So what do I do with this kimchi? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/2 "2014-04-12T15:17:22Z")
Ear it as you would kraut or pickles. Good with sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/3 "2014-04-12T15:20:00Z")
Besides eat it, you mean? ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/4 "2014-04-12T15:23:08Z")
So just eat it cold? I thought maybe it should be heated up and eaten with rice or noodles maybe? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/5 "2014-04-12T15:27:03Z")
Any and all of those are fine. Cold straight out of the jar, or put it in a recipe like kimchi bokkeumbap - kimchi fried rice. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/6 "2014-04-12T15:30:57Z")
I second the post above mine - [this recipe](http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kimchi-bokkeumbap) for kimchi fried rice looks delicious. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/7 "2014-04-12T15:35:52Z")
I think I’ll try the kimchi fried rice! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/8 "2014-04-12T15:45:14Z")
I serve it as a side, much like coleslaw. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/9 "2014-04-12T15:53:01Z")
I envy you. I keep a jar in the fridge, but my wife can’t stand the smell and cooking it makes the smell even stronger. I have to eat it cold from the jar in the back bedroom after she’s gone to sleep like some kind of sad dope fiend. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/10 "2014-04-12T16:19:09Z")
Throw it in with some stir-fry. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/11 "2014-04-12T16:44:18Z")
I like it cold, right out of the container. I can’t find kimchi here in whitey-land. There are plenty of places in Ottawa proper where I’m sure it’s sold, but not out here in the sticks. I’ve mentioned this before, but my first experience with kimchi was in southern Ontario as a teenager. My brother hung around with the only ethic kid in our school at the time: from Korea. He gave us some of his mum’s home-made kimchi and it was ambrosia. The most delicious thing I’d ever tasted. I yearn for some of that. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/12 "2014-04-13T13:26:50Z")
Moving IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/13 "2014-04-13T14:13:47Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > So just eat it cold? I thought maybe it should be heated up and eaten with rice or noodles maybe? I eat it straight from the container. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/14 "2014-04-13T14:42:27Z")
A while back, I had a recipe for a beef stew with cabbage, and since I didn’t have any fresh cabbage, I decided to use some kimchi instead. That provided just the right amount of spice, and the stew was very good. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/15 "2014-04-13T15:11:02Z")
Kimchi stew with rice cakes is one of my very favorite meals. ---
**Author:** ![dofe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@dofe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dofe)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/16 "2014-04-13T15:46:50Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > I envy you. I keep a jar in the fridge, but my wife can’t stand the smell and cooking it makes the smell even stronger. I have to eat it cold from the jar in the back bedroom after she’s gone to sleep like some kind of sad dope fiend. Forbidden love is the most delicious of all. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/17 "2014-04-13T15:59:22Z")
Kimchi stir-fry is probably the easiest if you want to cook it up, but kimchi stew ([kimchi jjigae](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi_jjigae)) or buddae jjigae (look under “varieties” on the kimchi jjigae link) is one of my favorite meals in the world. You’ll need a few more ingredients, though, although you can probably improvise something reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/18 "2014-04-13T16:00:37Z")
Great minds. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/19 "2014-04-13T19:24:00Z")
I like it best as a side to snack on as I’m eating something else. Goes great with good ol’ barbecue and a lot of other stuff that’s not the least bit Oriental. I like it on the side partly because I’m a bit of a lightweight when it comes to hot foods, so I’d rather have my hot and normal to select from and adjust. I never had kimchi until I spent some time in Hawaii, living on the cheap. The Korean BBQ joints in non-tourist areas had some of the best food, at townie prices, and whatever else you ordered, you’d get a few dishes of different kimchis. Wow, yum. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940/20 "2014-04-13T20:30:38Z")
So, apparently one of my local stores just recently started selling kimchi. I had no idea, but I had mentioned my hankering for kimchi to a very good friend of mine and she googled which stores near me had kimchi. I had to ask customer service where I could find it, and they only knew it was a recent addition to the store, and I’d have to ask some one in “produce.” Sigh. I asked the girl at the deli counter, and she led me back behind the employee only doors to a produce guy who then led me to the kimchi: in the produce isle between baby carrots and bok choy. There were two variants: mild and hot. I bought the hot of course, who wouldn’t? I haven’t opened the jar yet… I’d like to thank my friend for her awesome googling powers that led me to my kimchee purchase. I’ll sample it tonight and report back soon. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-this-kimchi/685940.md?page=2)