The Korean kimchi-making class turned out to be a whole retreat!

Zhibek Azamat 27′ is Business Analytics and Marketing major currently studying at Seoul National University for Fall 2024!

November in Seoul had many plans for me, but making kimchi wasn’t one of them—until one evening when my friend told me she had been offered a spot in a kimchi-making class, complete with a “plus one” option. Forget shopping in Myeongdong, clubbing in Hongdae, and hiking; this seemed like the most culturally engaging activity!

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish served in every restaurant and dining place. As a source of Korean pride and culture, kimchi has become a symbol of Korean cuisine around the world. It’s pretty popular for its fermented napa cabbage, isn’t it?

My best friend, who I have known since I was 13, is a student at Tokyo International University. As soon as she learned that I was coming to Korea for my term abroad, she immediately booked tickets to visit me. She planned to come from November 20th to November 24th, and I wanted to show her as much authentic Seoul as possible. She enjoys exploring new cultures and loves kimchi. Plus, I was scheduled to attend the kimchi-making class on the 23rd—bingo! I invited her along, not realizing that the activity I thought would take about an hour would turn into an entire retreat, offering much more than just kimchi: a trip to another city to meet community center workers at a house for people with disabilities.

The night before, neither of us could sleep. One of us was busy with interviews until 4:40 in the morning, while the other frantically finished an assignment due that day. Since we were told to meet the community leader by 6:20 am at a station 35 minutes from our place, we decided to take a power nap. At 6 am, we both dashed to the station, half awake.

Thankfully, the community leader, Kim Susong, waited for us and introduced us to the whole group. We were later paired with community members who guided us throughout the process of making kimchi. My partner was Kim Jhonhi, who goes by the English name Emi Kim. She felt like the family aunt who ensures everyone is treated exceptionally well, even at the kids’ table.

Around 8:30 am, we arrived in Pocheon, a small town located west of Seoul. Although the weather was relatively cold, the atmosphere warmed up as a few Koreans chatted around a fire, while male community members took their cigarette breaks and we enjoyed freshly brewed hot coffee. Susong made us kimbap (a Korean dish consisting of rice and veggies rolled in seaweed) and gave us a few oranges so we wouldn’t go hungry until lunch.

We spent the time until 9 am putting on aprons and gloves to prepare for our task. Emi took pictures of my friends and me, reminding me of my grandmother, who always ensures we have at least one good picture from every gathering. At 9:10 am, one of the older Korean women approached us and began explaining each step of making good kimchi. Emi and I were assigned to cut radishes, and she showed me how to make perfect cubes. Even though my Korean wasn’t fluent enough for a full conversation with Emi, her instructions were clear enough to follow. My friend and I engaged in a playful competition to see who could cut the most radishes, which ended in a tie—so engaging that we ran out of radishes!

Next came the onions. I had never cut so many onions in my life! My eyes started tearing up, and my arms began to feel sore, so Emi suggested we take a break. Some community members were busy in the kitchen making scallion pancakes for the rest of the group. After our break, we returned to the most exciting part of the class: filling the napa cabbages with kimchi base—a sauce made of various seasonings. Each leaf had to be filled with the sauce until the cabbage was entirely covered and looked red. Folding the cabbage was harder than I expected, but stuffing it with the sauce became my favorite part.

After filling the last cabbage from the box, we were officially done! A fantastic lunch awaited us inside: seaweed soup, rice, iceberg salad, and grilled meat. We had the chance to relax and enjoy our meals. Susong joined our table and explained that seaweed soup is a staple in Korean diets, as it energizes and boosts metabolism.

Around 3 pm, we all gathered upstairs to watch a performance by people with disabilities. It was a wholesome experience that made me a little emotional, as all of them were incredibly talented and delighted to have us cheer for them. The director of the house delivered a speech thanking us for our help. To show their gratitude, each of us received nice gifts, along with some kimchi we had made earlier. Before leaving, Emi presented me with printed photos of us taken throughout the day. I felt so grateful to have met such amazing people from the community and to have had the chance to help those in need through this activity. My friends and I expected it to be just a class, but it turned into something truly special.

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