Kimchi...I get it now.

Ok, so when you think of Korean food, what's the first thing you think of?

 

Kimchi.

There's good reason. Kimchi is a STAPLE of the Korean diet. As in staple, I mean it is served with EVERY SINGLE MEAL. I wish I had something to compare it to in America that we eat with every meal...so let's just compare it to breathing. IT'S THAT MUCH OF A STAPLE.

Exactly.

Now, coming to Korea, I was prepared to try Kimchi. I do NOT like it. However, I have found some resturants that make it with a recipe to where I don't MIND it. Not saying I LIKE it, I'm just saying there are some places where I don't MIND it. 

I've spoken to many foreigners about kimchi and it goes like this:
 

Me: "Do you like Kimchi?"
Fellow Foreigner: "At first I didn't. But now I love it."

Ok. This ALWAYS confuses me. If I don't like something, I don't keep eating it until I do. I mean, DUH?! 

But, after over half a year here...I have finally come to understand Kimchi.

Oh, let me backtrack....you may be asking "What IS Kimchi?" Wikipedia describes it as "a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. In traditional preparation Kimchi was often allowed to ferment underground in jars for months at a time." Yeah, it's basically fermented cabbage with spices. NOT TASTY. 

But, Korea is one sneaky country. It sneaks it into some AMAZING dishes....kimchi stew, kimchi pancake, kimchi fried rice. Ok, maybe it's not really sneaky since it's in the name, but these dishes are quite tasty. Weird, since it has Kimchi. 

So....since you eat the delicious food such as the examples above, you are CONSTANTLY eating Kimchi without realizing it. 

Well, here's what happened to me:

I hadn't had Kimchi in a while (even when it's served, again AT EVERY MEAL, I don't eat it), nor had I had my FAV Kimchi Stew. Then, one day at school...I recognized a flavor. It wasn't exactly a delicious flavor, but it was a familiar taste. Kind of "homely" I would say. Then it hit me. IT WAS KIMCHI!

You get USED to Kimchi here sneaking into all your dishes that it just becomes a familiar taste. You may not like it, but your mouth recognizes it and is like "Oh, I haven't had you in a while, nice to have you back."

So there. I get it. Kimchi. I don't mind it now. AND I understand how people start liking it even if they started off hating it. 

Ghamsamnida,

Apes