It consists of cabbage or radish with a variety of seasonings like garlic, ginger, and onions, and the dish is fermented.
Before kimchi began to be manufactured in large quantities, kimchi was traditionally created in people's homes. This means that each family would traditionally make their own kimchi. The women of each family would come together and spend the day making kimchi that was meant to last them for the whole year. By making kimchi all together, it was meant to create a strong bond between mothers, daughters, sisters, and daughters-in-law. Although kimchi is now more commonly purchased at stores, there are still people that make kimchi the traditional way.
Yes, the food is definitely connected to the local environment. As I have traveled around the country, I have realized that different regions are known for different dishes. This means that ingredients or foods that are abundant in the area are most commonly used. When I was in Busan, the most famous dishes consisted of seafood. Since Busan is a port city, there is a lot of seafood. The city also has a lot of seafood markets in which they sell all sorts of seafood and items that have to do with the ocean.
In Seoul, however, there are a lot more dishes. I still do not know if there is a particular dish that is most popular since there are so many options. Not too far from the center of Seoul, there is an area called Myeondong. In Myeongdong, one of the famous dishes is galguksu. Not only is it delicious, but the best galguksu I tried was in Myeondong. Overall, depending on the region, there is usually a famous dish based on the local ingredients and environment.
