Korean Young Napa Kimchi (Spring Cabbage Quick Ferment)
Eolgari kimchi is a spring kimchi made with young napa cabbage that is briefly salted, then dressed in gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, and glutinous rice paste before fermenting at room temperature for about a day. The young leaves are thinner and the stems more tender than mature napa, so the seasoning penetrates quickly and fermentation produces a pleasant acidity within twenty-four hours. Salted shrimp compensates for the short fermentation period by adding immediate depth, and the young cabbage itself contributes a clean sweetness that balances the chili heat without any added sugar. This is a seasonal kimchi meant as a lighter alternative to aged kimchi when temperatures start rising in spring.
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Instructions
- 1
Cut the young napa cabbage into 5 cm pieces and salt it for 30 minutes.
- 2
Rinse the salted cabbage twice in cold water and drain well.
- 3
Cook sweet rice flour with 200 ml water over low heat into a paste, then cool it.
- 4
Mix chili flakes, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, salted shrimp, sugar, and rice paste to make the seasoning.
- 5
Coat the cabbage evenly with seasoning and place it in an airtight container.
- 6
Ferment at room temperature for half a day, then refrigerate and serve after 1-2 days.
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