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Traditional Kimchi Recipe (Tongbaechu)

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I’m excited to share with you my Traditional Kimchi Recipe — specifically, the Whole Napa Cabbage version, also known as Tongbaechu Kimchi (통배추 김치). This step-by-step guide is easy to follow, even if it’s your first time making kimchi at home. With just a few key ingredients and a bit of patience, you’ll have your own delicious, homemade kimchi in no time. Let’s get started!

Traditional Kimchi Recipe

Serves: 16
Prep time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Rest time: 8 hours
Cook time: 5 minutes

For the Napa Cabbage:
2 medium (6 pounds) Napa cabbage, quartered
3/4 cup Korean coarse sea salt, separated
1 gallon water

For the rice paste:
2 cups water
5 tablespoons sweet rice flour

For the kimchi paste:
10 garlic cloves, pureed
1 teaspoon ginger, peeled, pureed
1 medium Korean pear, chopped, pureed
1/2 large onion, chopped, pureed
5 tablespoons anchovy fish sauce
2 tablespoons salted shrimp (saeu-jeot)
4 tablespoons Korean plum syrup (maesil chung)
4 stalks scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups Korean white radish, cut into matchstick pieces
2 cups carrots, cut into matchstick pieces
1 1/2 cups Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)

Traditional Kimchi Instructions

1. Brine the Napa cabbage:
  • Cut the Napa cabbage into quarters. (If Napa cabbage isn’t available in your area, you could also replace it with green cabbage.)
  • Rinse the cabbage in running water.
  • In a large mixing bowl, place 1/4 cup of Korean coarse sea salt. Pour in the water and whisk until dissolved.
  • In a bowl, place 1/2 cup of the Korean coarse sea salt. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over every layer of the cabbage. Repeat with the rest.
  • Place the cabbage in the salted water. Brine until the white part of the cabbage becomes soft, flexible, and bendable, about 8 hours. (It also depends on the size and freshness of your cabbage. Salt will release the moisture inside the Napa cabbage, so it will stay crunchy for a long time, and it also kills germs.)
  • Rinse the cabbage in running water until all the salt on the surface has been removed, about 3 times. Drain it until there is no more excess water.
2. Cook the rice paste:
  • In a saucepan, over low heat, add the water and sweet rice flour (or replace it with all-purpose flour). Constantly stir until the paste becomes sticky and pasty, and bring it to a boil. Let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
3. Prepare the spice and seasoning paste:
  • In a food processor, transfer the garlic, ginger, Korean pear (or replace it with an apple), onion, anchovy fish sauce, salted shrimp (or omit it if it isn’t available), and plum extract syrup (or replace it with other types of syrup or honey). Blend until it becomes a paste.
4. Make the kimchi paste:
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice paste, spice and seasoning paste, and Korean chili pepper flakes (or more or less based on your preference). Whisk. Also transfer the scallions, Korean radish, and carrot. Mix well.
5. Put the kimchi together:
  • Spread some kimchi paste over every layer of the cabbage, working on one piece at a time, and repeat with the rest.
  • Transfer the kimchi to an airtight container. (I got my kimchi container from H Mart. If you don’t have this extra lid, you could replace it with plastic wrap.) To ferment faster, leave it at room temperature for 1 day. Then place it in the fridge to continue the fermentation from 5 days to 1 month. It depends on how tangy and sour you want your kimchi to be. Continue to chill in the fridge for up to 3 months, or even longer.

16 thoughts on “Traditional Kimchi Recipe (Tongbaechu)”

  3. Jona

    Hello!happy new year!
    Thank you for sharing us your kimchi procedures and ingredients..this is my favorite!
    God bless you.

    Reply
    1. CiCi

      Hi Jona,

      You are most welcome! I’m really glad that you enjoyed this video. Happy New Year to you and your family! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Jennifer Lamsen

    I loved kimchi. Thank you for sharing another way on how to do it. I will try this. Hope you can help and share more tips. All the best.

    Reply
  6. Corrie Baier

    Greetings from Germany.
    I would love to make your Kimchi recipe.
    It looks so fresh!

    Please, I have a question….
    Your recipe asks for ‘2 medium cabbages (6 pounds)’…. Is that a total of 6 pounds, or 6 pounds each?

    Thanking you in advance for your reply. 🙂

    Reply
    1. CiCi Li

      Hi Corrie,

      Thank you for the question! The two napa cabbages combined weigh about 6 pounds. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Happy kimchi making!

      CiCi

      Reply
    1. CiCi Li

      Hi Gina,

      Thank you for reaching out! Yes, you could add more pear, apple, sugar, or Korean plum syrup – all of them will work out beautifully. Enjoy!

      CiCi

      Reply

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