Chairman
"Tongchimi and chonggak kimchi can be called the progenitor of our country's kimchi."
Kimchi is a characteristic traditional dish of Korea. Tasty, nutritious and appetizing, Koreans enjoy eating it at every meal.
The number of its variety is great.
The oldest of them is tongchimi and chonggak kimchi.
Koreans made tongchimi for wintering.
Turnip was one of the major materials for kimchi making. It was cultivated already in the period of the Three Kingdoms, and kimchi made with turnip became widely propagated in the period of Koryo.
Tonggukrisanggukjip, a collection of works by Ri Kyu Bo, a famous poet of Koryo, contains the following poem about radish:
If pickled, turnip is a wonderful side dish in summer,
If kimchi is made with it, it can be eaten throughout winter
As depicted in this poem, the custom of making kimchi with whole turnip was generalized in the period of Koryo.
As chili was not cultivated in those days, this kind of kimchi was made with turnip, salt, spring onion and garlic.
The main material of kimchi became bok choy in the latter half of the 18th century, and the Korean people, when they mentioned about kimchi, they were reminded of whole bok choy kimchi.
As the new variety of bok choy became the main material of kimchi for wintering, turnip, which had been used as the main material for kimchi, was listed as the second one of the materials for kimchi making, and the meaning of tongchimi was limited to the word indicating a kind of kimchi.
In the latter half of the feudal Joson dynasty, a variety of seasonings such as whole chili, whole garlic and ginger were used to add to its taste.
It is well known for its good and refreshing taste and fragrant smell.
Chonggak kimchi is made with young turnip with its green leaves.
It was called so, likening young turnip to chonggak (boy), as a man before marriage was called chonggak.
Turnip does not grow fully in the northern part of the country because of low temperature. So, the locals made kimchi with young turnip with its leaves, and this kind of kimchi became popularized for its peculiar taste.
When the season for kimchi making came around, would pick all the vegetables planted in the kitchen garden and cut the stalks of large turnips for kimchi making, and sorted small turnips with stalks and then made chonggak kimchi with them.
This kind of kimchi is made by pickling turnips with their leaves and mixing it with various seasonings such as salted anchovy, spring onion, garlic, chili and ginger.
It is also made with young radish with soft leaves.
While being fermented, its taste becomes plain and refreshing.
Tongchimi and chonggak kimchi are now widely encouraged as national dishes for the people's diet thanks to the wise guidance of Chairman
The Chairman, who made efforts to improve the people's diet all his life, said that tongchimi and chonggak kimchi can be called the progenitor of kimchi in our country, giving instructions on how to make them tasty.
He said:
The taste of tongchimi becomes varied according to the weather, season and local conditions. The dish should be eaten at the place of its making it. If it is taken to another region and eaten, it tastes unsavoury. However much effort is made to make it in summer, it does not taste as that made in winter. Kimchi, which is made with young radishes with soft leaves, is chonggak kimchi.
The respected Comrade
The Korean people, who are enjoying happiness under the loving care of the peerlessly great men, are devoting all their wisdom and passion to the development of national dishes, making whole bok choy kimchi, tongchimi and chonggak kimchi in the kimchi-making season every year.
