Kimchi (also known as gimchi) and Korean food in general are not cuisines that I have experienced often as a Native New Mexican. Most of the kimchi I had tried were American variations and therefore I was not entirely sure what kimchi was supposed to taste like. When I found out I’d be relocating to South Korea at the end of last year one of the things that I was most excited about was the opportunity to sample some authentic Korean food, including the national dish, kimchi. Once I arrived in Korea I found the cuisine to be somewhat intimidating, with all kinds of smells and flavors that my palate was not used to. Kimchi in Korea has a much more aromatic (also could be described as strong) smell than what I’ve had in the U.S. and it is everywhere you go.
