Baek-kimchi: a Cool Metal White Kimchi without Chili
Napa cabbage is salted for 2 hours, stuffed with radish, pear, garlic, ginger and scallion, then covered with a clear brine of 5 cups of water and 1 tbsp of salt. A cool Metal kimchi for autumn and winter, 4 servings in about 150 minutes plus a day to ripen.
| Elements | Metal |
|---|---|
| Good in | autumn, winter |
| Suits | a warm-running (hot) constitution |
| Serves | 4 · 150 min |
A kimchi in white
Without red chili, this kimchi is almost entirely white: pale cabbage stalks, radish, pear and garlic. White is the colour the tradition gives to Metal, and pungent, the taste of garlic and ginger, is Metal's taste too. So the app-style reading tags it as a Metal dish.
Salt and the clear brine are Water, since salty is Water's taste, and Metal produces Water (金生水) in the generating cycle; the tradition can read the brine as flowing naturally out of the Metal ingredients. The scallions add a line of green Wood colour.
Season and body type
Metal is the phase of autumn, and kimchi-making season in Korea runs from late autumn into winter, so the dish is set for those two seasons.
Its nature is cool. The tradition reads cool dishes as suiting a constitution with more heat, 열이 많은 체질, and white kimchi is often offered where spicy red kimchi is too strong. Read as the tradition's way of pairing food and temperament, not as medical advice.
Ingredients and their elements
Four Metal ingredients, two Water, and one green Wood accent.
| Ingredient | Amount | Element | Swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small napa cabbage | 1 head | Metal | - |
| Coarse salt | 0.5 cup | Water | - |
| Korean radish | 200 g | Metal | - |
| Korean pear | 0.5 | Metal | Apple, 0.5 |
| Garlic and ginger | 1 tbsp each | Metal | - |
| Scallions | 5 stalks | Wood | White part of a green onion, 1 |
| Water and salt (brine) | 5 cups + 1 tbsp | Water | - |
Ingredients
- Small napa cabbage 1 head (Metal)
White-stalked Metal energy, cool and refreshing. - Coarse salt 0.5 cup (Water)
Salty is the taste of Water; Metal produces Water (金生水) as the cabbage is salted. - Korean radish 200 g (Metal)
White Metal energy that adds a clean, cool taste. - Korean pear 0.5 (Metal)
The sweetness of a white fruit softens the brine. - Garlic and ginger 1 tbsp each (Metal)
Pungent is the taste of Metal. - Scallions 5 stalks (Wood)
Green Wood energy for colour. - Water and salt (brine) 5 cups + 1 tbsp (Water)
The Water energy of a clear brine.
How to make it
- Quarter the cabbage, sprinkle coarse salt between the leaves, salt for 2 hours, then rinse and drain.
- Julienne the radish and pear, cut the scallions into 4 cm lengths, and finely mince the garlic and ginger.
- Mix the filling, tuck it between the cabbage leaves and pack into a container.
- Dissolve 1 tbsp of salt in 5 cups of water, pour it over, leave at room temperature for a day, then refrigerate.
Questions
Is baek-kimchi spicy?
No. It has no chili, only the gentle pungency of garlic and ginger.
How long before it is ready?
After a day at room temperature it starts to ripen; it tastes best after a few days in the fridge.
Can I use a large napa cabbage?
Yes, scale the salt, filling and brine up in proportion; this version is sized for one small cabbage.
Solar terms in this season
LiqiuChushuBailuQiufenCold DewFrost DescentStart of WinterMinor SnowMajor SnowWinter SolsticeMinor ColdMajor Cold
Read next
Traditional Four Pillars (myeongni) and yin-yang five-element interpretation. Not a medical diagnosis or advice.