Howdy,
Looking for kimchi recommendations. Any brands or supermarket I should be checking out? There is no local Korean store where I live so it’s not an option. Most of the kimchi I’ve tasted in Japan is just too sweet and lacks the sourness and tanginess of kimchi I’m used to eating back in Atlanta (7th largest Korean population in the US).
Any leads would be appreciated.
10 comments
[https://goo.gl/maps/ojFd2n7yM9e51ffWA](https://goo.gl/maps/ojFd2n7yM9e51ffWA)
Here’s a link for you about a fantastic kimchi shop in shinokubo
https://preview.redd.it/tnsstcoqs4pa1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=64fe75093254aebe30080e156fef2a2793e5a1bc
I buy this and eat natto and negi together every day.
I’m not Korean but the ones sold at Costco and 業務 are decent
The big jars at hanamasa
Aeon kimchi is good in my opinion
My favorite is こくうまキムチ however I’m not a fan of sour kimchi so my palette might not fit yours.
Look for a kimchi kun picture on the packaging. I’ve heard that the ones with the picture are actually fermented and taste much closer to Korean style kimchi. I started looking for those specifically and haven’t ended up with weirdly sweet kimchi since.
Look for stuff advertised as fermented or made in Korea (or with Korean ingredients). Japanese kimchi is generally not fermented but instead adds lactic acid to give an artificial aged taste.
This lead to a issue when Japan tried to register “kimuchi” as a Japanese food for the Atlanta (*call back*) Olympics and is the origin of the oft repeated belief that Japanese think kimchi originates in Japan – which no one does.
If you’re in Tokyo, the small shop opposite the Korean Embassy in Azabu Juban does great kimchi.
Sometimes you can find Bibigo kimchi at supermarkets, I like that one. The Chongga brand kimchi sold here is still the Japanese style (sweet) but I find if you add some vinegar to it, it makes it more sour and closer to Korean kimchi.