In the grand sweep of the history of kimchi , this spicy Korean dish has generally been considered more of a homemade food, rather than one you can easily find at the grocery store. Nowadays, however, it's more widely available than ever. For those who don't have the patience to wait out a fermentation cycle.
Ji Hye Kim , chef and owner of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan, tells us there's no reason to feel bad about purchasing ready-made kimchi (especially if it's from a Korean grocery store; generally speaking; it's been suggested that kimchi from Korean groceries is more peppery and less sweet than products sourced elsewhere). Regardless of where you pick up premade store-bought kimchi, Kim says that checking for age and freshness is critical: "Not too salty and not too old." Let's say you have some less-than-exceptional kimchi, and you want to upgrade it — well, Kim has a hack for that.
The secret ingredient is the nutty, toasty sesame oil that you likely already have in your pantry, applied with a light hand just before serving. As Kim explains it, "Sesame oil smells so good, and it rounds out the kimchi flavor and adds complexity [to the dish] with so little effort." If you want to take Kim's tip for improving your kimchi, choose Korean sesame oil; unlike regular sesame oil, made from untoasted seeds, sesame seeds in Korean oil are toasted for an extra pop of flavor.
Convenient, delicious store-bought kimchi actually exists Whether you're topping a burger with kimchi f.
