Oh no, the Kimchi slip....

          Ever tasted the 'Kimchi', the spicy hot South Korean pickle? No, then you are missing something here. For those who heard it for the first time, consider the Indian version of mango pickle, with cabbage instead of mango in it. I have tried cooking 'Kimchi' at home. It came out nice, except that my 'Kimchi' was not fermented for long days.

         By the way, did you hear about the news on 'Kimchi' lately? If you have not heard of it, so far, the manufacturers in South Korea are facing a huge crisis. The shortage of cabbage started the price increase, the Chinese competitors offering a low cost version making it worse. The ultimate damage is that last year almost 1000 odd kimchi makers were shut down or had to shift temporarily their core product to an alternate one. Isn't it surprising?

    Kimchi in South Korea, is as popular as Sushi in Japan. The food (kimchi) is a side dish but with innovation creeping into the food industry, there are variations of it in dumplings, noodles, pancakes, fried rice etc. It is quite popular as it causes weight loss, builds immunity, slows down aging, fights inflammation. The fermented dish promotes the healthy bacteria in our digestive system. 

    Alas, the famous K-dish is in crisis. Yes, you might find alternatives to cabbage like radish, beet, cucumber, eggplant, bamboo shoots, apple etc. to prepare the similar versions of kimchi. But none can replace the original cabbage. Have you ever tried a 'koosumbari' (South Indian salad) without cucumber? Sounds odd, right? A kimchi without cabbage, does the same. 

    Just praying for its rejuvenation, let the Kimchi prosper.