Language: English.
Finally, your learning opportunity on the principle of traditional & authentic Korean fermentation is at Ambacht in Beeld!
The Kimchi workshop hosted by Mina from House of Fermentation will guide you through the one-of-a-kind recipe, specifically originated in Jinju, South-Korea. The recipe is rarely known even amongst Koreans, as Jinju is located on the south coast of Korea, and the region is known to incorporate biodiverse ingredients from the sea.
At this workshop, Mina will take you back to the 70s in a rural village where entire villagers came together to make 300 – 400 cabbage Kimchi and then some together. On this scale, the work takes 3 to 4 days. Oftentimes, the day starts with old ladies waking up at 5 AM, and coming out on the street with their cutting boards and knives, to begin washing and chopping ingredients.
For Ambacht in Beeld, this is a light version workshop where all participants work together to complete one big batch of Kimchi to be shared at the end of each workshop, as in her childhood experience where all the neighbors took part in making a huge batch of Kimchi each year to feed the whole village. She will also guide you through the differences between all fermentation methods worldwide, Kimchi variations, and Kimchi-themed recipes.
All 17 ingredients to put together
430 grams of Kimchi per person to take home with
Korean Fermentation is the only fermentation recipe in the world that allows fermentation to go on practically forever. You can open the jar as many times as you want to take some Kimchi out, it will continue to ferment. Making Kimchi is a craftmanship of building a harmony that works as one complete ecosystem: Harmony of biodiverse ingredients, biodiverse microorganisms, harmony of nature and us, humans.
There isn’t one key ingredient that does the fermentation in Kimchi. Each ingredient has a different role to play. So our job is to be the best logistic team that brings all the ingredients together at its best status where microorganisms thrive as the best chefs. That’s why once we put together one batch of Kimchi, we do not disturb the ecosystem by adding something new later.
That’s also why:
1. We do not use synthetic or artificial or processed ingredients that do not provide any nutrients for the microorganisms.
2. We do not separate or cultivate a single type of microorganism like Kombucha making.
3. We do not use heavy saltwater brine that only cultivates a single type of microorganism.
4. We do not use vinegar, high acidity substance, processed sugar, or rice wine that kills the microorganisms.
5. We do not “feed” bit by bit like sourdough making.
This craftsmanship also comes with the philosophy of honoring nature. Nature has given us the gift of harvests as we take advantage of nature for farming. So we must be able to consume everything nature has given us. And we should not be wasting any of it. If we can preserve it, we must. This is not a choice: So Kimjang (Kimchi making) comes with the militant discipline of zero-waste and sustainability.
At this workshop, the Traditional Korean Pot ‘Hang ah ri’ which is a 2000 years old refrigeration tool that is still in use to this day in Korea, will be exhibited as well. You can taste the true Naturally-Fermenting Kimchi that has been fermenting in the Hangahri for about 3 months.
This Hangahri and 90 different Onggis and Hangahri were imported directly from South Korea in 2021 through crowdfunding. Mina has chosen the government-registered (and protected) craftsman Choong-Ghil Hwang’s works so that people can utilize them in the workshops, and use them for production at HoF location. You will be able to see the family insignia stamped on every pot.
These traditional pots are kneaded to create micro air pockets in the wall itself that breathe out fermentation gas, specifically one element of the gas: CO2. As the pot is releasing the CO2, the temperature and humidity level in the pot is regulated just like our planet Earth which is why our ancestors called the environment inside of the pot “pure and clean”. This also meant that we never “burp” Kimchi. ‘Burping’ is a modern-day myth that started with plastic Tupperware, canning, and other sealed jars used for Kimchi as industrial food makers misunderstood what Kimchi is about.
Are you ready to take part in the Kimjang workshop? I hope to see you at The Table.
Mina was born and raised in Jinju, S.Korea. She studied nursing at the university which helped her research and verify the traditional recipe back to life. Since the university, she began teaching English which became her 6-year career that led her to become a corporate trainer for the following 12 years.
She moved to the Netherlands and hoped to launch a new set of life with the freedom of being herself. Seeing some of the downsides of the food scene in Amsterdam, ignited her passion for traditional Korean food and teaching. In 2019 With HoF, she embarked on the journey to reintroduce the legacy of Kimchi-making and ensure that each jar embodies the rich cultural heritage of Korea as well as the true health benefits of Kimchi.
House of Fermentation with Kimchi and other Korean condiment products, runs fermentation workshops and dinner events at its location which became also popular choices for many companies’ teambuilding events and private celebrations.