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The Kimchi Masters of South Korea Can Teach You a Thing or Two

A former pop-singer, a YouTuber and a pioneering C.E.O. are among the select five given a special government designation. And they’re sharing advice for home cooks.
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Lee Hayeon prepares kimchi outside on a mat. Behind her are large kimchi pots covered with snow.
South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs awards the title of grand master to those who have shown excellence in traditional Korean food. Years of experience, adherence to tradition and their kimchi’s significance are among the criteria used to judge the candidates.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

By Hahna Yoon

Reporting from Seoul
Published July 16, 2024Updated July 18, 2024

They have more than 200 years of combined kimchi experience, but ask any one of South Korea’s most esteemed kimchi makers the secret to a good one and you will get a different answer.

“Delicious kimchi begins with good ingredients,” said Lee Hayeon, 65, one of five people designated as a “Korean Food Grand Master” by South Korea’s agriculture department, which gives the title to makers across various categories, including liquor, tea and jang.

The Times spoke to all five current kimchi masters to learn what their kimchi journeys might teach a lover of this foundational Korean dish. All of the masters expressed concern about changes in how kimchi is made and consumed. Each of them waxed lyrical about the health benefits of traditional kimchi, but they worry about the rise of mass-produced, exported kimchi.
Haemul-Seokbakji
Lee Hayeon, Master of Seafood Kimchi
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A woman with black hair wearing a hanbok sits on a snowy platform holding a tray of kimchi. Behind her are dozens of earthenware pots.
Lee Hayeon runs a YouTube channel dedicated to kimchi in addition to her role as grand master.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
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A bowl of seafood sits on a counter before a tray of smaller dishes holding chile powder and other ingredients for kimchi-making.

On her YouTube channel, Ms. Lee says, “The dish requires so many ingredients, but you can make do by leaving things out or finding substitutions to achieve a similar flavor.”
Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
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Two hands covered with chile pack sliced vegetables between the leaves of cabbage.
The stuffing for the kimchi is filled by lifting each leaf of the cabbage and wrapping it together.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Ms. Lee’s signature kimchi bears little resemblance to the spicy red cabbage kimchi found at Korean restaurants the world over. The stars of her kimchi are five different types of seafood — abalone, conch, octopus, oysters and raw shrimp — along with cabbage, garlic and gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder).

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