Kimjang

"Kimjang" (soft 'a' like 'art') refers to the time of year when Koreans traditionally made kimchi by the boat load and stored it in clay pots. As was true when my great great grandparents were alive, these huge batches of kimchi -- heads of wilted napa cabbage bathed in kimchi paste* -- spend the winter outside, in nature's refrigerator. The cold temperatures allow for these to be kept outside and ensure that the kimchi doesn't ferment too quickly. Prepared properly and kept within a cool to cold temperature range, this kimchi can be eaten for maybe even years after it's made. (Don't quote me on the 'years' business, that's just what I've heard. I don't have to see everything to believe it.)

Anyway, as you can see in the picture above, our fridge is packed full of tupperware. Everything but the small containers in the upper-right corner of the main area is kimchi. Cut-radish kimchi, whole baby radish kimchi, and several kinds of cabbage kimchi (including one my grandmother made and shipped to me -- I actually had to have it shipped to my office since no one is at home during the day to receive packages. It weighed nearly 15 kilos, if I had to guess. And I hear rumors it pissed some professors off while it sat in the fridge waiting for me to taxi it home. Umm. We're in Korea, dummies. If you haven't gotten used to kimchi smell yet, maybe you should consider going to another country.)

But anyhow, there you have it. Now I know why most Korean homes have separate fridges whose sole purpose is storing kimchi.

*kimchi paste is the secret to kimchi and varies widely by region and individual tastes and traditions.