When my parents knew that they were adopting me from Korea, they decided to try Korean food. They found a Korean restaurant in their area and off they went to experience a new cuisine.

When people think of Korean food, one of the first things they think of is kimchi, a fermented cabbage dish. So, my parents went to this restaurant and my father ordered kimchi from the menu.

***If you didn’t know, above and beyond cabbage, there are a number of spices involved in the preparation of kimchi (salt, garlic, ginger). Most importantly, for the sake of this story, it also contains red chili peppers. Chili peppers give it color and spice.***

Well, in this case, my father says the restaurant didn’t “Americanize” the dish. He swears to this day that his dentist could have pulled out every tooth in his mouth and he couldn’t have felt a thing. Very spicy.

After growing up hearing this story, I’ve never been brave enough to try authentic kimchi. I’ve had the non-spicy version of kimchi and I did like it. It has a very distinctive taste.

Basic information about kimchi:
1. Generally, it is fermented cabbage (though sometimes it is turnips)
2. Low in calories and cholesterol, but high in fiber
3. Contains lots of vitamins
4. Garlic is an important ingredient
5. Red chili peppers add color and spice

My husband and I have already located several Korean restaurants in our area. We tried one and I liked it a lot (though I didn’t have kimchi). My suggestion is to talk to your waiter/waitress. If you don’t already have your baby, tell them that you are adopting a baby from Korea. My experience has been that everyone is very receptive of my status as a Korean adoptee and they like to provide you with information. Take advantage of the opportunity.

The more detailed information on kimchi came from www.korea.net.