Kimchi is most commonly made with whole or halved Chinese (napa) cabbage, which is sliced just before serving. Since it is more common in Sweden to sell kimchi ready to eat in jars rather than whole, it can be helpful to chop the cabbage first if you’re aiming for production.

I use a mixture of chili and paprika, dried and ground, to create something similar to gochugaru, the Korean chili powder commonly used. It is both spicy and sweet. You can use a generous amount of chili or very little chili. Fresh chili also works well.

Day 1:

10 kg Chinese cabbage or regular cabbage (or a mixture) – roughly chop and cover with a 7% salt brine.

Day 2:

Rinse the cabbage.

Make a spice blend in a mortar (grate/mince first in this case) or food processor using:
3kg daikon
400g ginger
300g garlic
10-20ml ground chili and paprika
2-3 tbsp salt

Slice or julienne into small sticks:
2 kg daikon
2 kg carrots
3 leeks or a large bunch of chives/garlic chives

Mix all the ingredients together and pack them into the fermentation container (crock or jar) – do not pound or press too hard. Place a weight or plate on top and cover with a lid and airlock.

Kimchi made with Chinese cabbage ferments quickly and can be refrigerated after 2-3 days. If using a lot or only regular cabbage, I like to let it ferment longer – up to 14 days at room temperature. Taste it occasionally to find your preferred flavor and texture. It benefits from being aged for two to three weeks before transferring it to jars and consuming, but honestly I often eat it earlier and its also delicious.