Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made from salted and fermented vegetables. It is a staple food in Korean cuisine and a popular global food. A wide selection of ingredients are used to make kimchi, including the Korean red chili pepper (gochugaru), scallions, garlic, fish sauce, and salted shrimp, although there are lots of delicious vegan recipes.

Kimchi is used for a variety of traditional dishes like soups and stews but it is mostly eaten as a side dish with almost every Korean meal. However, kimchi has become very popular in recent years and many other countries, especially the US, are now incorporating kimchi into other dishes as a topping or condiment. There are hundreds of different types of kimchi (like radish and cucumber) but Napa cabbage is the most popular.

Historically, kimchi was stored in large fermentation vessels, called onggi and then buried underground as a form of refrigeration. This allowed Koreans to have vegetables over the harsh winter months from the natural fermentation.

Today, we are benefiting from this historical tradition by supporting our gut health through the naturally occurring probiotics in the most delicious ways!

Our kimchi is made fresh every week! That means your kimchi will be at a perfect level of fermentation when you receive it. Typically after 2 weeks of when kimchi is made and stored, it is at its perfect level of fermentation. Thus not too sour, slightly tangy, and still crunchy!

Our kimchi recipe is simple yet bold! Passed down from the founder’s mother who hails from Daegu, Korea. Patrice captures her Korean heritage by following the recipe and technique that her mother taught her growing up making kimchi in their backyard. We use the finest Korean ingredients possible with an emphasis on the quality of the Korean red pepper or gochugaru. We use a ton of garlic, a combination of fish sauce and shrimp paste (except for our Vegan), Korean red pepper paste, apricot extract, and scallions.

Yes! Kimchi is so good for your overall health. Since kimchi is a fermented food, it has a great source of probiotics. Gut health is very important and kimchi provides a natural source of yummy gut bacteria that can help with your digestion. In addition to its probiotic benefits, kimchi is low in calorie, a good source of vitamin C, and has ingredients that are good for your heart, blood, and other skin!

Our kimchi is made fresh every week! That means your kimchi will be at a perfect level of fermentation when you receive it. Typically after 2 weeks of when kimchi is made and stored, it is at its perfect level of fermentation. Thus not too sour, slightly tangy, and still crunchy!

We make our kimchi fresh every week by hand! As a small business, we take on a small batch approach and our passionate team makes each batch with a labor of love. It’s therapeutic for us when we mix our kimchi by hand. We often tell funny stories, get to know each other better, and create a unique bond over kimchi.

Typically you will receive 1-2 week old kimchi. If you like your kimchi more fermented, all you have to do is let it sit longer. You will know your kimchi is fermenting when you see the pouch puff up. A byproduct of fermentation is CO2 gas. Simply open the pouch to release the build up of gas. I like to call this “burping” seal the bag back up and put it back in the fridge. Kimchi is constantly fermenting! If you like to ferment your kimchi quicker, we recommend leaving your kimchi out at room temperature for 1-2 days. Make sure to “burp” the bag along the way! Once at your desired level of fermentation, put your kimchi back in the fridge to slow the fermentation.

To keep your kimchi as fresh as possible, keep it in the fridge at all times.

We have a three month expiration date. Although kimchi can last much longer if kept in the fridge and not contaminated.

We ship our products nationwide. All orders are shipped out every Wednesday. This ensures that you receive the freshest batch possible!

Yes, you can pick up our kimchi at our commercial facility, Tastemakers DC. When your order is placed online for pick up, we will contact you to let you know when it is ready to be picked up. We also offer local delivery every Wednesday!

We ship our kimchi in thermal bags with ice packs!

No! The bloating is caused by the natural fermentation. When kimchi ferments, CO2 gas is a by-product. All you have to do it “burp” the bag which means simply opening it to release the build up of gas from the fermentation. Simply put back in fridge and continue to enjoy the delicious probiotics.

If your product does not arrive cold or arrives damaged, we will issue a full refund.

Please send us a message at info@taegukimchi.com as soon as possible with a picture of the damaged product. We will then issue the refund immediately.

Yes.

Not at the moment but hope to be in stores one day! Our kimchi is made fresh every week and unfortunately this limits us to farmers markets and e-commerce. Either way you can get our delicious kimchi shipped to you anywhere in the US!

We use some ingredients from local farms that we attend with at our local farmers markets!

We operate over a dozen farmers markets throughout the DMV. We also host intimate kimchi making classes once a month during the winter season (Jan–March).

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