Kimchi.

Once upon a time, people used to call it “that rotting vegetable thing.” Now—thanks to the tidal wave of K-culture—it’s suddenly the most popular fermented food in the world. Everyone wants to make it. Everyone wants the real one. And honestly? You absolutely can.

If you enjoy stories from my kitchen, you might also love my Lala Weekly post about everyday kitchen magic.

I’ve lived in the States for over three decades, and in that time I’ve learned how to keep the original Korean taste while adapting to whatever ingredients were available. Back then, it was difficult. Now? I can buy napa cabbage at Whole Foods. I can get fish sauce and sea salt through Amazon Prime. The world has changed, and kimchi has officially joined the party.

So I wanted to create a guide where you don’t have to drive anywhere special or hunt down anything mysterious. Everything you need is either on Amazon or on the Whole Foods app—and yes, they will deliver right to your door.

This recipe is perfect for one or two people, and it’ll give you about three to four weeks of kimchi. Fresh kimchi for ramen, stir-fried rice, roasted meats, anything. And when it finally turns a little sour? That’s when it becomes gold. Kimchi-jjigae. Kimchi fried rice. A spoonful in your soft tofu stew. This is the true base. I made it myself, exactly the way I make it for my own home.

And next time, I’ll post the real-life video of me making this same kimchi for our Thanksgiving gathering. But for now, let’s begin.

First, gather your ingredients. Bring enthusiasm. (You’ll need it.) I always think it’s going to be easy, and somehow it still surprises me every single time.

You’ll need napa cabbage—one very large one or two smaller ones from Whole Foods (aim for just over 3 pounds). One onion. One apple. About ten big cloves of garlic or twenty small ones.Two Fresno pepper. Green onion. A thumb of ginger. Red pepper powder (gochugaru). And sea salt.

If you need a roomy tote that can handle Napa cabbage, fish sauce, and questionable levels of determination, my LALATOWN grocery tote will follow you into every kitchen mission.

I’ve linked everything you can buy from Amazon and added the Whole Foods list below. You’ll also need some glass jars (jam jars, sauerkraut jars—anything you already have). And a double-layer bowl system: one large mixing bowl and one strainer that fits inside it. A cutting board. A knife. And one measuring cup: ⅓ cup. Every measurement in this recipe uses that one cup to keep everything simple.

Okay—let’s go.

         

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, it’s time to prep the napa cabbage.

There is a traditional way of cutting it, but that rule only applies to the big, heavy napa cabbages you see in Korean markets. The smaller Whole Foods cabbages behave differently — they’re more fragile and tend to break. So here’s the easiest, no-stress method:

1. Cut the cabbage into 1-inch pieces.

If any pieces look too large, especially the thick white stems, just slice those in half.

2. Place the chopped cabbage into your bowl.

We’re going to salt it next.

3. Add ⅓ cup of sea salt.

That’s all you need. It might look like too little at first, but trust me — it’s enough.

4. Salt it in layers.

Sprinkle salt over the first layer of cabbage, then add another handful of cabbage and repeat. This helps the flavor absorb evenly.

5. Add one cup of water.

Just splash it over the top.

(You can pour it if you want, but splashing makes you feel like you’re doing something fancy.)

6. Mix gently with your hands.

The cabbage will start softening. This is the beginning of the brining stage.

7. Let it sit for one hour.

During that hour, every 15–20 minutes, give the cabbage a stir or a little “flip.”

Bring the bottom cabbage to the top and the top cabbage to the bottom.

This helps everything salt evenly.

         

While the napa cabbage is soaking in salt and water, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Chop the aromatics:

• garlic

• two Fresno peppers

• one onion

• one apple

• a small piece of ginger

Wash everything well, then cut into blender-friendly pieces.

Place all of it into the blender with:

• ⅓ cup tuna sauce

• ⅓ cup filtered or distilled water

(You can skip the tuna sauce if you’re sensitive to fish products, but I strongly recommend keeping it. It’s an umami bomb. You’ll use it for stir-fries and so many other dishes later.)

Blend until smooth.

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Now rinse the cabbage.

By this point, about an hour should have passed.

Your cabbage should feel softer and slightly flexible.

Rinse it 3 times with cold water to remove extra salt.

Drain it well in the strainer.

While it drains, wash the spring onions too.

Remove any sad, wilted pieces.

You can even double the amount of spring onion — it only makes the kimchi better.

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Make the seasoning base.

Dry your mixing bucket with a clean towel (we don’t want water here).

Pour the blended mixture into the bucket, then add:

• ⅓ cup gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder)

Let the gochugaru soak in the mixture.

It will look light orange at first — don’t worry. It will turn red soon.

     

Once the napa cabbage has drained, it’s time to bring everything together.

A little moisture left in the cabbage is completely fine — don’t worry about it.

Add the cabbage to the seasoning paste you made earlier.

Use your hands (with gloves) and mix thoroughly.

Lift, fold, squeeze gently.

Make sure every piece gets coated.

If you prefer your kimchi spicier, add 1–2 extra tablespoons of gochugaru.

That’s the easiest way to adjust the heat.

Keep mixing until the paste and cabbage look fully connected — no pale patches, no clumps.

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Now, jar it.

I strongly recommend using glass jars:

empty jam jars

sauerkraut jars

any thick glass container you already have

Plastic containers and kimchi…

Let’s just say kimchi will win that fight.

Go with glass.

Pack the kimchi into the jars, press gently to remove air pockets, and leave a little space at the top for expansion.

Seal the jar, wipe the sides, and that’s it.

You’ve made real kimchi.

Now you’ve made real kimchi.

Not “guessing-game kimchi.”

Not “I followed a random video and hoped for the best” kimchi.

This is kimchi taught to you by a real Korean person — with hand-drawn illustrations and zero mystery.

Before we celebrate, a quick warning:

Wear an apron.

Even if you wear an apron, whatever clothes are under it… just accept that they’re going into the washer.

There is always a “kimchi outfit” — clothes you don’t care about, clothes you’re emotionally ready to say goodbye to.

Because gochugaru will show up everywhere.

Even if you clean perfectly.

Even if your kitchen looks spotless.

For the next three days, a red dot will appear somewhere and whisper, “Hi, remember me?”

And when you’re done tasting your fresh kimchi — and if your partner still loves you, still lets you whisper close to their face, even with garlic confidence levels at maximum — keep that person.

They are truly in love with you.

They are a keeper.

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A quick note about jars.

Even if your glass jars came out of the dishwasher looking clean, there’s always a little… micro-life-ism (my personal vocabulary) lingering around.

To sanitize properly, pour a bit of vinegar onto a small corner of a paper towel, and gently wipe the inside of the jar.

Just damp, not soaked — we’re killing unnecessary micro-living things, not marinating the jar.

Do this at the beginning so it can fully dry before you pack your kimchi.

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And now you have it.

Real kimchi — made with your hands, your kitchen, your courage, and your determination.

Below is the list of everything you can purchase from Amazon and Whole Foods.

Fresh Ingredients (Whole Foods)

• Napa Cabbage — 1 large or 2 smaller ones (about 3+ lbs)

• Green Onions — 1–2 bunches (double if you love it)

• Garlic — 10 big cloves or 20 small

• Sweet Onion — 1 medium

• Fresno Peppers — 1–2 (or substitute with mild red pepper)

• Ginger Root — small thumb-sized piece

• Gala Apple — 1 medium

• 

Pantry Ingredients

• Sea Salt — for brining the cabbage

• Gochugaru (Korean Red Pepper Powder) — ⅓ cup + optional extra

• Tuna Sauce (Umami Base) — ⅓ cup (recommended, optional)

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Tools You’ll Need

• Blender

• Large mixing bowl + strainer (double-layer system)

• Knife + cutting board

• Gloves (optional but very recommended)

• Glass jars (jam jars, sauerkraut jars, thick glass containers)

• ⅓ cup measuring cup (we use only this one to keep everything simple)

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⭐ Amazon Products 

• Sea Salt

• Korean Gochugaru

• Tuna Sauce

• Double Layer Basket Colander

• Kitchen Gloves / Hand Protection