Jee Kim Smith

San Francisco, CA

My earliest memory of kimchi making is at my grandparents’ square shaped Hanok  (traditional Korean house with an enclosed courtyard) in Korea when I was about 5 years old. It’s a busy scene in the courtyard: ladies with their hair wrapped in terry scarves and wearing long, red rubber gloves that came over their elbows. In one corner, the aunts are rinsing and tossing sectioned Nappa cabbages into an oversized colander. In the other corner, another group of ladies are armed with mandolins and swiftly slicing mountains of radishes into a huge bowl. My great-grandmother would call me over, insisting that her kimchi marinade is too spicy for a child, rip off a piece of the Nappa cabbage, top it off with morsels of che sok (julienned radish marinade used in poki kimchi) and drop it into my waiting mouth. I remember it being so spicy that it cleared my sinuses but that simple act of love and sharing her culinary gift ingrained a memory in me that has inspired a desire to do the same with those I love.

My mother kept up with the tradition of making kimchi long after we immigrated to the United States and settled in Maryland. During the hot spring & summer months, she would make mul kimchi  (water kimchi designed to offset some of the spicier kimchi dishes) and Gock Du Khi (radish kimchi). In the fall, she would make Got kimchi, which was made from mustard greens and the traditional poki kimchi (spicy cabbage kimchi). She would also whip up a mean dish of Oi kimchi, which is a quick and delicious kimchi made with fresh cucumbers.

Growing up in my mother’s kitchen, I developed my palate and love for Korean food. Like her grandmother in Korea, my mother expressed her love and affection for us by preparing delicious and traditional meals containing fresh ingredients, nourishing our bodies and our hearts.

I now live across the country from my mother and her homemade kimchi, so I have developed my own spin on her original recipes to prepare for my family and friends. It is my pleasure to share these recipes with you, whether in one of my classes here in the San Francisco Bay Area, or through one of my prepared dishes that you can order online in the near future or find at one of my upcoming farmer’s market appearances. 

I am proud to carry on the family tradition and share these original recipes, passed down by generations of women spanning Korea and the United States. My recipes are easy to follow and use ingredients widely found in most grocery stores and neighborhood markets.

For a list of upcoming classes and events, please click here. I am also happy to coach you through your own kimchi making experience, so please feel free to email me here. 

Enjoy. Share. Love.

From my kitchen to yours,
Jee Kim