Korean American Chef Kish develops new recipes with kimchi

“Kimchi isn’t just a cooking ingredient, it’s a device that affirms my identity.”

Korean American celebrity chef Kristen Kish, winner of season 10 of Bravo TV’s hit show “Top Chef,” is working on new recipes that use kimchi.

Last month, she partnered with Jongga, a global kimchi brand from Daesang Group in Korea, to create a fusion dish that combines Korean and American cultures, according to entertainment and lifestyle publication Fansided.com.

“American food is my favorite, but I prefer to use kimchi, which is used to enhance the flavor and umami. It’s one of my refrigerator staples.”

“The spiciness of kimchi and the fishy flavors of pork chops can be unfamiliar and off-putting to other cultures, but by using kimchi in a variety of ways, you can create dishes that are delicious.”

Kish was adopted by an American family when she was just four months old, so she never grew up in Korea and had little experience with Korean food. She is constantly researching to overcome these limitations.

“Having witnessed firsthand the growing popularity and prominence of Korean kimchi in mainstream America, I was eager to share recipes that make it easy to incorporate into the American diet,” says Kish.

“The most important thing about cooking with kimchi is to think of it as an acidic ingredient and balance it out in your recipes,” says Kish, who recommends that people who are intimidated by kimchi use it as a topping on familiar dishes like burgers and hot dogs, rather than as a main ingredient.

The easiest way to find new kimchi recipes is to replace tart ingredients like pickles on a burger with kimchi, and a little kimchi on an omelet instead of hot sauce is a great alternative.

“It’s also a chef’s duty to think about reducing food waste,” says Kish, adding, “Kimchi from the ‘Jongga’ brand, which has a campaign to preserve biodiversity, is more than just an ingredient for cooking.”

BY PARK GYEONGEUN