Kimchi-jjigae김치찌개

In the royal court, kimchi-jjigae (김치찌개) is said to have been called kimchi-jochi. The stew is thought to have begun as a way to use up winter kimchi when people tired of eating it raw, or to rescue leftover kimchi that had turned too sour. Because kimchi as we know it took shape only after chili peppers arrived in the mid-Joseon period, kimchi-jjigae probably appeared after people started making kimchi with chili. Old recipes called for kimchi with beef or pork and plenty of green onion and garlic, set in an earthenware pot inside the rice cooker to steam, or simmered long until soft.

In the past, soups called guk and tang seem to have been more common than jjigae. Stews spread widely as eating out took hold and one-bowl meals became popular, and kimchi-jjigae is the prime example. Kimchi made during the late-autumn gimjang season is eaten until spring and easily turns very sour, which is exactly when it is best in a stew. Pork, canned tuna, mackerel or saury soften the sourness. These days, stews made with deliberately long-aged kimchi, called mukeunji, are a popular choice.