Tuesday is Kimchi Day across the D.C. area.
D.C. and Virginia have already designated Nov. 22 as the holiday, and a proclamation from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has added the state to the festivities.
Kimchi is a fermented side dish that usually involves cabbage, but can also use other kinds vegetables like cucumbers or radishes. It usually has a spicy and tangy flavor.
“Kimchi is a cultural staple of Korean cuisine,” said Virginia Del. Irene Shin, a daughter of Korean immigrants who sponsored the bill that created the holiday in the Commonwealth. “I think it’s really cool how far kimchi has come.”
Shin said that when she was growing up her family ate kimchi in their house, and when her non-Korean friends came over, “they’d be like, ‘What the heck is this stuff?’ And now you can go to Costco or Trader Joe’s and find kimchi very readily available.”
Kimchi Day is celebrated Nov. 22 — 11/22, in recognition of the 11 benefits kimchi has for gut health and the 22 ingredients that can be used to make it.
And while Shin told WTOP the dish is delicious, the holiday is about more than food.
“I think it’s a celebration of the cultural contributions of the Korean American community. In Virginia, the third-most spoken language in our Commonwealth is Korean,” said Shin.
In Maryland, Hogan announced early Monday morning that the next day would be the state’s first Kimchi Day. His wife, Yumi Hogan, is Korean American. In the governor’s announcement, he said the Maryland’s governor’s mansion is the first in the nation with its own kimchi fridge.
Yumi Hogan, who posts cooking videos on YouTube, has previously shared her recipe for salad-style kimchi.
“Proclaiming the first Kimchi Day in state history is another way to celebrate our incredible Korean American community and its many contributions,” Hogan said in a statement. “Our administration is proud of the special bond we have with Korea, and all we have been able to do to make those cultural and economic ties even stronger.”
To celebrate Kimchi Day, Shin suggests adding it to your lunch or dinner.
You can make the dish your self, but Shin advised, “I would say it’s labor-intensive and that store-bought kimchi is just as delicious.”
