20180625 南韓面臨「泡菜逆差」

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泡菜的政治學
南韓面臨「泡菜逆差」，進口量遠高於出口量

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2018年6月25日
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閱讀時間 1 分鐘
作者：艾拉・希爾

這道蒜味濃郁、發酵過的白菜料理，散發著宛如濕襪子的氣味，聽起來或許不太開胃，但大多數韓國人卻對泡菜著迷不已。這道菜通常以高麗菜、香料和醃魚製成，帶有鹹鮮的酸味。作為南北韓的國民美食，它在整個半島的餐桌上隨處可見，既可作為配菜，也能包進餃子裡，或拌入炒飯中。

朝鮮半島的發酵歷史可追溯至公元一世紀。然而，儘管其他地區的發酵食品市場蓬勃發展，韓國產泡菜的市場卻不如預期強勁。近幾十年來，日本和中國開始喜愛這道菜餚，並以廉價仿製品淹沒市場。這招致了韓國人的憤怒，他們表示這些新品種因未經發酵，根本不能稱為泡菜。但南韓人卻未能以實際行動支持自己的言論。該國目前面臨4,730萬美元的「泡菜逆差」，進口量遠遠超過出口量。儘管每名南韓女性理應懂得製作這道菜餚，但許多人仍選擇購買市售泡菜，因為這通常比自己動手做更便宜。


泡菜的食譜幾乎與製作者的數量一樣多。所有食譜都包含相同的核心食材：整顆大白菜、切塊的白蘿蔔、辣椒粉、搗碎的生薑和大蒜、魚露、發酵蝦以及大量鹽。首先將白菜對半切開、洗淨並撒鹽。靜置兩小時後徹底沖洗乾淨。將剩餘食材混合成濃稠的糊狀，均勻塗抹在每片白菜葉上。將白菜緊密地裝入罐中，靜置數日進行發酵。接著像韓國人一樣享用——早餐、午餐和晚餐都不可或缺。

圖片來源：STOCKFOOD


The politics of kimchi
South Korea runs a “kimchi deficit”, importing far more than it exports

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Jun 25th 2018
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1 min read
By Ella Hill

A garlicky fermented cabbage dish with an aroma like wet socks may not sound too appetising, but most Koreans are crazy about kimchi. The dish is typically made with cabbage, spices and fermented fish for a briny tang. The national fare of both North and South Korea, it’s ubiquitous at meals throughout the peninsula, served as a side dish, stuffed into dumplings or tossed with fried rice.

Fermentation in the Korean peninsula dates back to the first century. Yet despite a boom in fermented foods elsewhere, the market for Korean-made kimchi is less robust. In recent decades Japan and China have developed a taste for the dish and flooded the market with cheap imitations. This has earned the wrath of Koreans, who say the new varieties can’t be called kimchi because they aren’t fermented. But South Koreans have not put their money where their mouths are. The country now runs a “kimchi deficit” of $47.3m, importing far more than it exports. Though every South Korean woman is expected to know how to make the dish, many opt for shop-bought kimchi which is often cheaper than making your own.


There are almost as many recipes for kimchi as there are makers. All include the same core ingredients: whole heads of napa cabbage, chopped daikon radishes, chilli powder, crushed ginger and garlic, fish sauce, fermented shrimp and plenty of salt. First halve, wash and salt the cabbages. Leave for two hours before rinsing well. Mix the remaining ingredients into a thick paste and spread it onto each cabbage leaf. Pack the cabbage tightly into a jar and let it sit for a couple of days to ferment. Then eat it like a Korean – with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

IMAGE: STOCKFOOD