Pa kimchi is made with tender green onions (also called scallions). It’s a popular kimchi in the spring, when jjokpa is in season.
Jjokpa is a small variety of green onions that has dark green leaves and slightly bulged out white stems. They are sweet with a nice aroma, making it perfect for dishes such as pa kimchi and pajeon. If jjokpa is not available, use silpa which simply is regular green onions that are harvested early when they are young and tender.
Typically, pa kimchi is seasoned with myeolchi aekjeot (fermented fish sauce made with anchovies). You can substitute it with soup soy sauce for a vegan version.
In this recipe, I also used dried squid, which is a popular snack in Korea, but it’s absolutely optional. The squid works as an umami booster while adding an interesting chewy texture to the kimchi.
Pa Kimchi (Korean Bapsang)
450 grams thin scallions (jjokpa or silpa)
4 tablespoons gochugaru
4 tablespoons myeolchi aekjeot
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 small dried (or half-dried) squid body part only (mareun ojingeo) - optional
Clean the green onions by removing the root part and any tough/brown outer skins. Wash them thoroughly a couple of times. Shake off excess water, and drain well.
Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl.
Cut the dried squid into about 5-centimeter long thin strips. Soak in water until slightly softened if very dry and hard, but this is generally not necessary.
Gently rub the seasoning mixture all over the green onions to evenly coat them.
Hold a couple of green onions together, and fold them before arranging in an airtight container to store. Another option is to tie them together by wrapping the other end of the green onion around the white part, making a circle in the middle, and then running the leafy part through the circle.
Keep it at room temperature for a day, and then refrigerate. Pa kimchi can be eaten right away, but the flavor develops as it ferments over 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge. Run a knife (or a pair of kitchen scissors) through the folded or tied green onions a couple of times to serve.
For more recipes, visit www.koreanbapsang.com.
By Ro Hyo-sun