Kimchi has a long history, started more than 3000
years ago.
The types were slightly different from modern
kimchi, usually, vegetables or sometimes fish were put into salt water,
soy sauce, vinegar or soybean paste, lees of rice liquor, which were
eventually all fermented food.
They were stored in a
large earthenware jar under ground.
As time passes, more various types of vegetables
have been used to make kimchi.
White radish, turnip, cucumber, courgette, wild
leaf mustard, spring onion were used as main ingredients of kimchi. And
for colouring, some flowers were used.
Since the introduction of red pepper in 17th century
Kimchi started to look different. Cabbage Kimchi, which is the most
famous and typical Kimchi now in Korea, was introduced since 19th
century since the use of red pepper and breeding of cabbage.
Method of making kimchi has diverged, such as water kimchi, use of dried vegetable, or even use of boiled vegetable
for the old.
