Baechoo kimchi is a whole stuffed cabbage kimchi made during Kimjang, Korea's traditional winter kimchi-making season, featuring hand-salted napa cabbage leaves filled with a spiced radish and greens mixture that ferments over weeks.
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Prepare cabbages: Set aside about 1/2 C of the sea salt to sprinkle directly between cabbage leaves. Dissolve remaining sea salt with 20 C water to make brine.
Cut cabbages into 2-4 pieces and soak in brine for 30 minutes. Drain (save the brine), then sprinkle salt between leaves focusing on the thicker, white fleshy part.
Soak the cabbages overnight or 8-10 hours in the brine again, turning 1-2 times to evenly pickle the cabbage.
Rinse the salted cabbages in water 2-3 times and let drain fully (about 1 hour).
Prepare yangnyum: Julienne the Korean radish and mix with chili powder until radish pieces are completely coated.
Wash and cut green onions, dropwort, and mustard leaves to about 1 1/2 in long. In volume, use about equal amount to radish.
Mix the greens into the radish and chili powder mixture. Add ginger and garlic.
Add fresh mini shrimp or oysters if using, mixing into the yangnyum.
Press fermented anchovies or fermented shrimps through a sieve or squeeze juice by hand, and add the liquid to the yangnyum mixture.
Stuff the drained, salted cabbage pieces with the yangnyum mixture, spreading it between each leaf.
Pack the stuffed kimchi into airtight containers or traditional kimchi jars and allow to ferment.
Store fermented baechoo kimchi in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to several months; the flavor deepens over time as fermentation continues slowly at cold temperatures.
airtight containers or traditional kimchi jars · sieve (for pressing fermented seafood sauce)
After packing into containers, baechoo kimchi ferments at room temperature or in a cool place for several weeks before reaching peak flavor, though it can be eaten sooner.
Korean napa cabbage is preferred for its tender leaves and texture, but the salting and fermentation process may differ with other varieties and timing should be adjusted.
Yangnyum is the Korean spice mixture made with chili powder, radish, greens, garlic, ginger, and fermented seafood that gets stuffed between the cabbage leaves.
Yes, fermented anchovies, shrimp, or other seafood sauces are traditional and add essential umami depth; the liquid from these is pressed or squeezed into the yangnyum mixture.
After 8–10 hours of brining, the cabbage leaves should be pliable and tender enough to separate and stuff without cracking, and taste salty when sampled.
