How to Make Kimchi Taste Better? 21 Tips to Try

Kimchi is a popular Korean side dish prepared from fermented and salty vegetables. Kimchi is a wonderful gastronomic experience when done correctly. Kimchi, on the other hand, needs some expertise and ability. So, how can you improve the flavor of kimchi?

Mix kimchi with rice or noodles to improve its flavor. If it’s too strong, rinse it before serving. You may also season kimchi with BBQ sauce, curry sauce, or ketchup to enhance its flavor. Serve kimchi with roasted pork, chicken in panko breadcrumbs, or bao buns to get the most out of it.

In my quest to make the greatest kimchi possible, I’ve experimented with a variety of veggies and bringing techniques. Because kimchi is more of a method than a recipe, it has a broad range of flavors. In the following sections, I will discuss how to improve kimchi taste, correct poor kimchi, combine kimchi, and store it.

How to Improve Kimchi’s Taste?

If you’ve previously purchased or manufactured kimchi that doesn’t taste quite right, there are several things you can do to enhance it. Keep in mind that a bit of salt or a good rinse may go a long way.

Serve Your Kimchi Properly

Kimchi pairs well with rice, noodles, panko breaded chicken, bao buns, and roasted pork. Of course, you may serve it as a side dish with anything you choose. However, when using it as an ingredient, use extreme caution. Nothing ruins kimchi like eating it with the wrong foods.

Cabbage rolls are one of those incorrect dishes. Personally, I dislike the mix of kimchi and tuna. But you may give it a go and see for yourself.

Mix Kimchi and Roasted Meat

Kimchi pairs well with roasted meat or other recipes that include roasted or grilled meat in some fashion. The fresh and crunchy side of the kimchi complements the salty and soft side of the meat well.

Mix Kimchi and Rice

Kimchi is an excellent accompaniment to rice. It will work well as a side dish or as an element in the rice. You may fry it for a minute in a skillet, then top it with sauce and serve it over a dish of cooked rice.

Cooking kimchi and rice together is another method to blend the two. Cook it in a pan with the rice. Pour in some water and let it to cook. In only a few minutes, you’ll have a fantastic meal.

Mix Kimchi and Noodles

Kimchi may be made into noodle sauce or just served on top of noodles. Fry the kimchi for a minute before adding the soy sauce. Add the cooked noodles to the pan and stir to combine. Add more water if necessary, and enjoy a wonderful and simple supper.

Rinse Rinse Rinse

One typical issue with store-bought kimchi is that you have no idea how long it has been fermenting. The longer it ferments, the sourer the flavor becomes. So, if your kimchi is bubblier than you want, you may rinse it.

Another helpful option is to soak it in a dish of cold water for 20 minutes to remove any excess sourness. Warm or hot water, on the other hand, will destroy its structure. Kimchi is designed to be crunchy, and warm or hot water softens and blandifies it.

Sauce It Up

The beautiful thing about kimchi is that it absorbs a wide range of tastes. It might be sour, bitter, or salty, and you can adjust the flavor with only a few drops of sauce.

The most frequent is soy sauce, but there are others you may use in your kimchi. Kimchi goes well with honey dip. The kimchi’s spiciness will pair well with the honey’s sweetness.

Kimchi marinara sauce is another excellent option. Because tomatoes are the major component of marinara sauce, they will lend freshness and a slight sweetness to your kimchi.

Barbeque sauce is the ideal accompaniment to kimchi and grilled meat. Kimchi combined with barbecue sauce provides the ideal balance of sourness, tanginess, and a unique smokey taste.

Brine sauce is another option for using up excess brine. Simply add mayo and sour cream to the brine to make a creamy, smooth, and soft sauce to blend with your kimchi.

We can’t discuss kimchi sauces without bringing up Korean fish sauce. Because fish mixes well with kimchi and is often used to make it, this fish sauce will fit right in.

How Do You Fix Tasteless Kimchi?

Even if you do everything perfectly, the fermenting process might go awry, and your kimchi will be bland or unpleasant. Don’t be disheartened; this is easily remedied.

Add Salt

Adding salt is the easiest approach to restore the flavour to your kimchi. The salt will not only make it taste saltier, but it will also enhance the kimchi’s other qualities.

Add Paste

Adding extra kimchi paste is another technique to re-flavor your kimchi. Be cautious since adding too much would leave it inedible.

Add Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is a reliable bet for bland kimchi. Soy sauce isn’t too powerful to overpower the kimchi, but it’s also not too light.

If your kimchi lacks flavor, gradually add soy sauce until you get the desired flavor. You may also add miso paste or fish sauce.

Remember that your kimchi is tasteless not because it lacks flavor, but because the chemical process has rendered the flavor passivized. You simply need to reactivate the flavors that are currently present. As a result, whatever you add, add it carefully, mix it, and wait a minute before trying again and adding more.

How Do You Fix Bitter Kimchi?

Kimchi has a natural bitterness to some degree, but bitter is not how it is intended to taste. Even if you performed everything correctly, chemical reactions may have a life of their own. Bitter kimchi is easily remedied, so don’t give up.

Soak It in Cold Water

If your kimchi is very bitter, soak it in cold water overnight to remove the extra lactic acid that causes this flavor.

Add Sugar 

To one cup of kimchi, add one teaspoon of sugar. This should remove the bitterness and restore the natural tastes of the kimchi with a touch of sweetness.

Layer Your Kimchi With Fresh Veggies

Layer your kimchi over veggies that do not contain sugar. Combine soy sauce, fresh garlic, and vinegar in a mixing bowl. After two to three hours, your kimchi should be ready.

How to Make Sure That Homemade Kimchi Tastes Good?

Given the plethora of ingredients and seasoning options available for kimchi, there are several ways to affect its flavor.

It is important to understand that there is no one recipe for kimchi, and you do not have to follow your recipe exactly. Kimchi is more of a method than a recipe, and as such, it needs at least a rudimentary understanding of food preservation and brining.

Choose Seasonal Vegetables

Although napa cabbage and Korean radish are the most well-known components in kimchi, you may prepare it with whatever veggies you desire. Using seasonal vegetables ensures that your kimchi is prepared using fresh vegetables that are in season.

In addition to the conventional veggies, carrots, scallions, and cucumbers may be used to produce kimchi.

Choose the Right Kimchi Season

From October until early spring is the greatest season to prepare kimchi. This manner, your kimchi will ferment correctly and at its own speed.

Summer and late spring are not the greatest seasons for making kimchi. Because kimchi must ferment, warm weather and high temperatures will be detrimental to the fermentation process. The heat will cause the kimchi to rot, so instead of being crunchy, spicy, and sour, it will be squishy and slimy, and you won’t be able to taste it.

Salt Carefully

Too much salt may damage your kimchi by penetrating too deeply into the veggies, causing them to rot. Salt is vital for bringing, and the amount of salt you use will determine not just the flavor but also the structure of your kimchi.

For one cup of water, use four teaspoons of salt. So, in essence, the quantity of salt you add is determined by the amount of water, and the amount of water is determined by the number of veggies.On the other side, too little salt will result in bland kimchi. The ideal salt-to-water ratio is 1 11

The quantity of water required is just enough to immerse the veggies in.

Pack Tightly 

The kimchi fermenting process’s deadliest enemy is air. When packaging your kimchi for fermentation, take special care to sealing it snugly and preventing air from entering.

It is recommended to store your kimchi in an airtight container such as a Mason jar. You’ll also need something to push the kimchi down so the veggies are securely packed.

Adjust Your Kimchi to Your Own Taste

When it comes to kimchi flavor, anything you select goes. Kimchi has a distinct sour flavor with a tinge of bitterness, but you may experiment with other tastes.

Feel free to experiment with different spices in the kimchi paste. From black pepper to paprika to garlic and onions, the possibilities are endless. It is up to you to compose the delicious symphony.

garlic. You may add Korean fish sauce, miso sauce, fermented squid, anchovies, or prawns to spice things up. If you want your kimchi to be spicier, add more chili powder or chili sauce to the kimchi spice.Salt, black pepper, paprika, ginger, dried or fresh onions may all be combined.

Give It Time 

Kimchi fermentation should not be rushed. Depending on the veggies you choose, your kimchi may ferment for a week to a month. You should leave your kimchi alone at this time and let it ferment at its own pace.

Because you are allowing air into the container with each opening and inspection, your kimchi will rot. Furthermore, removing a piece of vegetable each time you open your kimchi will allow air to circulate between the pieces, allowing them to decompress.

It might be difficult to simply let your kimchi ferment and forget about it, but you must if you want the finest possible flavor from your kimchi. If you can’t stop yourself from staring, put your kimchi in clear containers and study it without opening them.

Give It Space 

Make careful to ferment your kimchi in a dark place. Sunlight is not ideal for the fermenting process. Remember, you’re fermenting veggies with photoreceptors. Leaving the kimchi out in the sun will spoil it or, at best, damage the flavor.

If you don’t have a dark enough place for your kimchi, you may improvise by covering the containers with a cloth to keep the sunlight out. Another option is to keep the kimchi containers in the fridge.

The Magic Is in the Paste

The kimchi paste is equally as vital as the other steps in the kimchi-making process. The paste is the savory component of the kimchi that must be properly chosen and included.

The kimchi paste is simply the spices you will use to season your kimchi. As a consequence of the fermenting process, your kimchi might be spicy, slightly hot, or even subtly sweet in addition to being sour and acidic. It all comes down to the kimchi paste you use.

You may purchase kimchi paste or create your own. However, you must know exactly how you want your kimchi to taste since after the paste is added, it will taste exactly like that.

In addition to the spices, you may make your paste using fish sauce or fermented shrimp. The fermented fishy fragrance complements the fermented kimchi taste well.

Kimchi, in my opinion, tastes best when seasoned with paprika, a few grains of sugar, powdered garlic, and black pepper. But that’s just my opinion. You should be able to make your own magic.

Keep It Clean 

Keeping everything clean is crucial in food preparation, but it is very necessary while making kimchi. Wash all of your veggies, utensils, and jars well. Your kimchi will deteriorate if you leave tiny microorganisms on it.

While these tiny rascals degrade in thermally treated foods like fried, boiled, or baked foods, they proliferate and ruin the whole item in kimchi. As a result, it is critical to maintain everything clean and hygienic.

Combine Brining Methods

Consider combining two brining methods–dry and wet–to get the most out of your kimchi.

Both are straightforward, and they function best when together. The dry brining process begins first. Cover the veggies with salt and let them aside for a couple of hours.

The salt softens the veggies, absorbs their moisture, and makes them more susceptible to the flavors that will be added later. As a result, your kimchi will be more pungent in the end.

Continue with the wet brining process after the dry brining. Wet brining is a process that mixes salt and water. Submerge your veggies in the salt and water combination, using just enough water to cover them.

Cut Vertically 

Another important aspect of flavor is how the veggies are sliced. All veggies used in kimchi should be sliced vertically rather than horizontally.

Remove the core or any other hard parts of the vegetable. The shorter the fermenting period, the smaller the vegetable bits.

Choose the Right Containers

As previously stated, kimchi must ripen in closed containers. However, another consideration is their size.

The container should be large enough to hold the amount of veggies fermenting within. As a result, avoid using too large containers. Use a smaller container if your container holds three pounds of material but only one pound of veggies.

The more air bubbles grow between the layers of your veggies, the more empty the container is. If there is any vacant space in the jar, it should be minimal.

What Does Kimchi Actually Taste Like?

Whatever you add in the kimchi paste, the predominant and most distinguishing flavors will be sour, spicy, and acidic. It may also be somewhat bitter, subtly sweet, or a little spicy, depending on the components in the paste.

The fermenting process is by far the most important source of kimchi taste. Kimchi would have tasted extremely different if it hadn’t been fermented. The veggies and, of course, the items you add to the kimchi paste are the additional flavor sources.

What Tastes Good With Kimchi?

Kimchi is delicious on its own, so there’s no need to combine it with anything. It does, however, have the ability to convert a light and dull food into a very tasty experience. As a result, it would be a pity not to unite them.

Kimchi pairs well with rice and noodles. It will greatly enhance and spice them up. Simply combine your rice or noodles with the kimchi and let them boil for a minute before serving.

Make fritters or pork patties with it. Simply combine your kimchi with the usual mixture and fry. Another great way to utilize your kimchi is in a tofu stew. It will spice it up and provide a wonderful herbal scent to it.

Combine it with your scrambled eggs. You’ll be surprised at how well kimchi pairs with fried eggs. You may also use the kimchi as a stuffing for dumplings.

You may also use kimchi as a spaghetti sauce or a pizza topper.

How to Eat Kimchi, Hot or Cold?

Depending on our tastes, both hot and cold kimchi may be delicious. If you’re eating it plain, without any extras, I’d suggest serving it chilled. If you wish to blend it or use it in another dish, stick to the recipe or use your intuition.

How Long Does Kimchi Last?

Kimchi may be stored at room temperature for one week after opening. It lasts significantly longer in the refrigerator, three to six weeks. However, since it ferments, it may taste sourer each time. To prevent spoilage, store it at a temperature below 39 F (4 C).