A Nation of Kimchi is a South Korean food and travel documentary series released on Netflix on September 10, 2023. It was created by Baek Heon-seok and produced by Cho Jeong-hoon and Lee Jee-hwi. Broadcasted on KBS as well, the episodes in the series will be released weekly.
Heo Yeong-man, Ryu Su-yeong and Mimi are the hosts of the show where they travel and explore all the ways kimchi is made and used as an ingredient across the country — from ancient times to now. Kimchi is almost synonymous with the word K-food and is usually one of the first things that a non-native gets introduced to.
A Nation of Kimchi Episode 1 Review
In A Nation of Kimchi Episode 1 the three cast members meet each other on a boat to Mokpo, in South Jeolla Province of South Korea. Getting off the boat, they are transported to the mudflats where the native people are trying to catch crabs and octopus. As expected, the inexperienced cast get stuck in the mud and face some difficulty but are able to contribute their part in hunting down the sea animals.
The fished-out seafood was then washed and prepared to be added to the spicy mixture for kimchi, along with other vegetables and fruits. It is the speciality of the region where the side dish feels like a complete meal when you get a mouthful of seafood and vegetables in one bite. Through this experience, the cast consisting of Heo Yeong-man, Ryu Su-yeong and Mimi were able to witness the making process of the dish.
They then visited a restaurant in the Namyangju area to taste the famous cucumber kimchi. Not only do they serve with their food but are also available to take away in bulk. While devouring cold noodles with the cucumber kimchi, the question of how one should eat it came up. Yeong-man and Mimi prefer to eat the sliced tail first, biting up to the intact head, while Su-yeong prefers to eat the head, so he can enjoy the four slices individually.
Later in the episode, Kudzu kimchi was explored and how it’s prepared in a Buddhist temple. The monk preparing and then putting it with the lotus leaf & flower called the side dish ‘a way of life’, as it’s an integral part of the temple meal. The earthiness and simplicity of it often amaze the guests with how it pairs well with rice and other simple dishes.
Park Chae-rin and Lee Ha-yeon guested in the second half, where the two delved into the Mustard leaf kimchi and how in ancient times, many rich ingredients like abalone were mixed into the spicy batter. Sitting in the landscapes of Gangwon province, watching the preparation process and then tasting it, took the host on a gastronomic journey to the past. Offering a glimpse of how the people in the past preferred their kimchi.
The show provides an insight into the country’s symbolic dish and how diverse it can be, according to the region they come from. With more episodes coming in the next week, we will delve further into the contemporary ways kimchi is being used in modern dishes.
A Nation of Kimchi is currently available for streaming on Netflix. The next episode will be released on September 17, 2023.
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