I would be remiss if I did not post on the “kimchi crisis,” which, while it has not resulted in my having to pay extra for kimchi at restaurants, is still dramatically affecting grocery prices here and presenting quite a challenge for the planning of our next cooking class.
Via Ask a Korean!, a great source of Korean info, both food-related and otherwise.
Unscientific studies conclude that if you were to ask ten Koreans, “What is the one thing you cannot live without?”, at least seven of them would say kimchi. This highly addictive side-dish accompanies literally every meal served in South Korea. Its legendary popularity—along with its apparent health benefits—give it a near-religious status in its home country. It is unfortunate then for this nation of 50 million that the price of cabbage, the core ingredient of the most classic form of kimchi—is locked in an inflationary spiral. The price of this humble vegetable has risen over 400% in the past year, with prices doubling in the past two months alone. It is believed that the original cause was bad weather. Whatever brought on the initial shock, hoarding now is exacerbating it.
This has prompted the unthinkable: some restaurants are now charging extra for kimchi. Free kimchi along with one’s meal is practically a basic human right in Korea. So the advent of this new pricing, along with general kimchi shortages, has brought on a bout of national soul-searching, as well as the giving rise to the amusing notion that trench-coated men might soon stalk dark alleyways, whispering “Psst—want some cabbage?”
