Once upon a kitchen afternoon, there was a cabbage who wished to become something more. She sat patiently in her bowl while salt nestled into her leaves, waiting for her grand transformation.
Nearby, a pear was peeled, an onion sliced, and garlic, dug from the garden months before, was plucked from its curing place. All were gathered into the service of a new adventure.
The cook, a little nervous but determined, had watched others do this sort of magic before. One in particular, cheerful and fearless, had shown how even an oyster might tumble right into the jar as if it belonged there. It was this memory that lent courage to the cook’s hands.
So the pear, onion, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and chili were whirred into a fiery red paste, then smoothed lovingly through the cabbage leaves. Bare hands, not gloved ones, did the work, smearing the mixture until every leaf was dressed in red.
At first it seemed there would be far too little to fill the waiting jar, but soon the jar brimmed with cabbage and spice and even a sea-salt oyster, tucked within like a secret. A clever lid was fitted on top, one that would let air escape but not return, for as the mixture came alive, it would bubble and breathe.
The jar sat proudly, though some of its crown was not yet covered in brine. So a little saltwater was poured until all was safe beneath the surface. Now it rests, whispering and fizzing softly, as cabbages and pears and oysters all learn how to live together in the dark.
And in a few days’ time, there will be kimchi – sharp, bright, and alive.
Bramble On 🌿
Bea
Thanks for reading!