Kerry’s Medicinal Kimchi Recipe

This is my recipe for a non-spicy Kimchi, to really boost the immune system! It is not traditional Korean Kimchi; what I have devised is a highly effective “food medicine” recipe using Chinese medicine knowledge of the action of the qi of plants, and how the dosage, combination and preparation of specific food substances synergize to have a specific set of actions on the qi of the body. It is easy to make and works to strengthen and activate the qi in the middle jiao, and to resolve “phlegm damp” throughout the body. It is balanced in temperature, so as not to add excessive heat or cold to the body. Through a combination of ingredients and fermentation,  all of the 5 Flavors associated with each organ - sweet, salty, acrid/pungent, sour and bitter - are represented here, and work together to make this a real “superfood” for our health. It is a calling together of all the various qi aspects of the immune system, and deploys them to our front lines of defense. 

To get this medicinal effect, you need to eat about a tablespoon per day. As in all traditional Chinese methods that work with the qi – whether it is food medicine, medical prescriptions, qigong, taijiquan, acupuncture, massage, meditation – every daily dosage (or daily practice, or treatment) builds on the last, increasing the beneficial effect exponentially. To put it simply, eating a spoonful of this food medicine and doing a few minutes of qigong practice, every day, fortifies your defenses, and regulates your body and mind in a way that builds on the foundation of what you did the day before, the weeks before, and so on.

A few words on ingredient and possible substitutions: 

Any kind of green or white cabbage would work in this recipe if you cannot get the Chinese cabbage, also known as Napa cabbage. The Chinese cabbage is traditionally used because it ferments quickly and, in terms of qi, is slightly more yang in that has a more “floating” action that helps lift the action of the recipe to the lungs.

Any kind of pear will do, but if you can get the Asian white pears (called nashi pears), they are less sweet than other pears, and have a different texture, making them ideal for this recipe. If you cannot get any kind of pear, you can substitute a whole apple instead of only half. 

These optional additions to the recipe have the following effect:

When you add a little sweet red pepper and/or carrot to the kimchi, you not only boost the sweet taste as the kimchi ferments, but you ensure the qi effect of the kimchi goes more into the blood, nourishing  the qi aspect of the heart and liver.

When you add a little of the long, white Chinese radish, you slightly boost the pungent taste of the kimchi, and strengthen the effect of clearing phlegm from the lungs as you open the qi of the middle. If you cannot get the Chinese radish, you can substitute a little white turnip.



Recipe Ingredients:

1 small Chinese cabbage (about 300 to 400 grams)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 teaspoon minced ginger
2 scallions, sliced
½  apple, peeled and chopped
½ pear, peeled and chopped
½ yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped
sea salt
water

(Optional) - 1/2 sweet, red pepper, thinly sliced, or 1 carrot, grated, or small piece of Chinese white radish, sliced



Preparation:

Separate cabbage leaves and chop into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

Dissolve 2 tablespoons sea salt in a bowl of warm water then pour salt water over cabbage leaves. Give cabbage a gentle toss to distribute salt water.  Allow salted cabbage to sit for at least four hours.

Give cabbage a good rinse to remove excess salt, drain and return the cabbage to a bowl, adding  
minced garlic, minced ginger, and green onions.

Blend the chopped onions, apple, and pear with one cup of water, (with a stick blender, normal blender, or just chop very fine and make a mash of the mixture with a fork), then add this natural sweetener to the cabbage.

Give everything a thorough toss and rubdown. You want to massage together the flavors, and evenly distribute all ingredients.

Transfer seasoned cabbage leaves into one or two large glass jars (such as pickle jars) or ceramic containers that you can put a plate over as a lid. Be sure to use firm pressure with your hands to push down on cabbage leaves as they stack up inside the jar. 

Transfer any liquid that accumulated during the mixing process into the jar as well - this liquid will become kimchi brine. Some liquid will also come out of the cabbage leaves as you press down on them.

Be sure to leave about 2 inches of room at the top of the jar before capping it tightly with a lid (you can use clingfilm to put over the lid of any other type of container you use, then place a plate over it). Allow kimchi to sit at room temperature for at least 24 - 48 hours. This will allow the fermentation process to begin.

Refrigerate and take out portions as needed. The kimchi will continue to ferment, slowly, in the refrigerator over time. So long as you use clean utensils to take out small portions, it will keep for up to a month in your refrigerator.