Baechu kimchi is a fresh, spicy fermented cabbage dish made by brining quartered Chinese cabbage, then coating it with a gochugaru-based paste and fermenting for 3-4 days. It starts crisp and salad-like, developing sharper, tangier flavours as fermentation continues.
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Remove the outer leaves and the stem of the cabbage.
Using a sharp knife, make a cut about 10cm up the cabbage to the base and use it to gently pull the cabbage in half (this helps to keep the leaves whole without shredding them).
Repeat the process with each half so that the cabbage is quartered.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge each of the cabbage quarters fully, then remove from the, water and shake them to get rid of any excess water.
Take a small handful of salt and rub it up and down each leaf of 1 cabbage quarter, ensuring the thicker parts closer to the stalk are particularly well covered.
Repeat with the remaining quarters, then transfer to a large, clean, clip lock plastic container and leave to brine for 3 hours, turning the cabbage quarters every 30 minutes to make sure the salt is distributed evenly over the cabbage.
Meanwhile, make the kimchi "glue". Bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the sweet rice flour, reduce the heat to a simmer and whisk together until there are no lumps and the mixture is thick enough to easily coat the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Trim and finely slice the spring onions, then peel and finely chop the carrot, garlic and ginger. Core and finely chop the apple (leaving the skin on), then add all this, along with the fish sauce and saeujot, to the thickened "glue" and mix together thoroughly (this is easiest done by hand, wearing gloves).
After brining, thoroughly wash the cabbages under cold running water to remove any excess salt or sediment that that be trapped between the leaves, then shake dry.
Take a small handful of the "glue" and rub it up and down each leaf of 1 cabbage quarter to coat, making sure that the thicker parts nearer the base are particularly well covered as before. Repeat with the remaining cabbage quarters.
Fold over the top third of each cabbage quarter into its centre, then fold over the outer leaves to form a parcel. Pack the kimchi parcels tightly into the large container.
Spoon any leftover "glue" into the container to fill any gaps – this will help form a barrier against the air and prevent mould. Be sure to leave some space at the top of the container though, as the kimchi will need some room to ferment and expand (without it, you could end up with a kimchi explosion).
Leave at room temperature for 3 to 4 days to ferment, then transfer to the refrigerator until needed.
The kimchi will continue to ferment but at a much slower rate, so every day it’ll taste a little sharper and a little tangier. Enjoy with everything.
Store finished kimchi in an airtight refrigerator container submerged under its paste; it continues to ferment slowly and sharpen in flavour over weeks.
large clip-lock plastic container for brining and fermenting · sharp knife for cutting cabbage cleanly · small saucepan for making the glue
Leave at room temperature for 3 to 4 days to ferment, then transfer to the refrigerator. It's ready to eat after the initial fermentation but will continue to develop flavour over time.
Chinese cabbage is preferred because its tender leaves hold the paste better and remain whole during brining and coating. Regular cabbage leaves are tougher and may shred or break.
Always leave some space at the top of the container—the recipe warns that without room to expand, you could end up with a kimchi explosion. If it starts to overflow, transfer some to a second container.
Saeujeot adds umami depth. If unavailable, increase fish sauce to 2 tablespoons, though the flavour will be slightly different.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will continue to ferment slowly and develop sharper, tangier flavours over time. Keep it submerged under its glue to prevent mould.
