Brining
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Napa Cabbagequartered, core removed | 1 whole head | — | — | — | — |
| Coarse Salt (Rock Salt)sprinkled between every layer; see method | To taste | — | — | — | — |
Rice Roux
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Water | 1 1/2 cups | 1.5 cups | 3 cups | 4.5 cups | 6 cups |
| Rice Flour | 1/2 cup | 0.5 cups | 1 cups | 1.5 cups | 2 cups |
| Sugar | 1/2 cup | 0.5 cups | 1 cups | 1.5 cups | 2 cups |
Paste (Blender)
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Asian Pear | 1, peeled and cut into chunks | 1 pear | 2 pear | 3 pear | 4 pear |
| Onion | 1 | 1 onion | 2 onion | 3 onion | 4 onion |
| Garlic | 1 large head (10-15 cloves) | 1 head | 2 head | 3 head | 4 head |
| Gingeramount estimated from visuals | A good knob (about 2 in) | — | — | — | — |
Vegetables and Seasonings
| Ingredient | English | 1x | 2x | 3x | 4x |
|---|
| Scallionsamount estimated | 1 bunch, cut into 2-inch pieces | — | — | — | — |
| Shredded Carrotsamount estimated | A couple of handfuls | — | — | — | — |
| Sweet Bell Peppersamount estimated | 2, thinly sliced | — | — | — | — |
| Fish Sauceuse oyster sauce or dried mushrooms if vegetarian | 1 cup | 1 cups | 2 cups | 3 cups | 4 cups |
| Salted Shrimp (Saeujeot)salted fermented baby shrimp; amount estimated | A few spoonfuls | — | — | — | — |
| Lime Seltzerthe carbonation adds effervescence; grandma's trick | A splash | — | — | — | — |
Pantry swaps
| Original | Swap1 | Swap2 | Swap3 | Swap4 |
|---|
| Rice Flour | 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour (not advised for cookies or quick breads) | 1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe)Reader suggestion:\xa05/8 cup potato flour | 1–1/4 cups rye flour or coarsely ground whole-grain flour | 1 cup cornmeal |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.25 | 1 |
| Sugar | 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar | 1–3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (makes baked goods less crisp) | 1 cup superfine sugar | |
| 1 | 1 | 1.75 | 1 | |
| Onion | 1 tablespoon dried minced onion | 1 teaspoon onion powder | 1/4 cup frozen chopped onion | |
| — | — | — | — | |
| Garlic | Garlic powder | | | |
| 1 | 0.125 | | | |
| Ginger | Ground ginger | | | |
| 1 | 0.333 | | | |
| Lime Seltzer | Lemons or lemon juice | | | |
| — | — | | | |
Method
- Quarter the napa cabbage: cut out the core and rip the leaves apart at the top.
- Brine the cabbage: sprinkle coarse salt between every layer, a bit at a time, then flip the head over and let it sit. A whole head takes about 8-12 hours; flip it every 2 hours so it brines evenly.
- Wash the brined cabbage about three times, then let it drain well. The leaves should be flimsy and wilted. Taste a middle leaf – it should be slightly salty but not too salty: a light brine flavor.
- Make the rice roux: mix 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup rice flour, and 1/2 cup sugar together BEFORE turning on the heat so the flour dissolves and does not clump. Start on high, then drop to a simmer once bubbles form at the edges. Whisk constantly – do not step away, it clumps fast – and pull it off the heat the moment it thickens. Let it cool before using.
- Blend the paste: put the peeled Asian pear chunks, 1 onion, the whole head of garlic (10-15 cloves), and a good knob of ginger in a blender and blend smooth.
- Build the kimchi paste: combine the blended mixture with the cooled rice roux, scallions, shredded carrots, bell peppers, 1 cup fish sauce, salted shrimp, and a splash of lime seltzer. Mix well and taste to check the balance.
- Pack the jar: wearing gloves (garlic hands last for days), put a generous layer of paste between every cabbage leaf and roll each section tight. Layer the sections into a clean glass jar, tucking extra vegetables between layers, pressing down so no air pockets remain. Leave some room at the top – the kimchi needs space to breathe and rise as it ferments. The liquid should pool above the cabbage; that brine is gold.
- Wipe the rim, cover the top with a layer of cling wrap for extra security, and close the jar.
- Ferment: leave at room temperature for about 7 days, then move to the fridge for about 3 more days before tasting (about 10 days total). White kimchi keeps for months and even longer than red kimchi; some prefer to let it go a full month for a funkier, deeper flavor.
Notes
Servings: 8-10 (a full head of napa cabbage in a large jar). Per serving (about 150 g, estimated): 145 kcal, 7 g protein, 1 g fat, 8 g fiber. Macros are estimates summed from USDA per-100 g values for the listed ingredients – the creator states no macros and several amounts (ginger, scallions, carrots, peppers, salted shrimp, seltzer) are not quantified on screen or in the narration. The fiber figure is meaningful here because the cabbage and vegetables dominate the batch.
Quantities: mostly exact from the narration (1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup fish sauce, 1 pear, 1 onion, 10-15 garlic cloves). The items marked “amount estimated” in the ingredient table are approximate – the creator measures them by feel. Brining time is 8-12 hours for a whole head; the 45-minute active prep does not include brining or fermentation.
This is the traditional, pre-chili version of kimchi – red peppers only reached Korea later, and white kimchi remains a favorite for kids, elderly relatives, and anyone avoiding spice. Chef Esther Choi is the creator (Food52 series “At Home With Us”). Source: Food52, “How To Make White Kimchi with Esther Choi | At Home With Us” (YouTube). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFFdNLn2RH8
The brine is the bonus: it is loaded with flavor, and the creator uses it as the broth base for cold noodles (mul naengmyeon-style) in summer. Save every drop.