Produce
Napa cabbage
배추
Also called baechu, Chinese cabbage, wombok
An elongated pale cabbage with crinkly leaves and a thick white midrib — baechu or wombok. It is the standard kimchi cabbage, milder and juicier than a round European drumhead.
Origin
East Asia; barrel-shaped heading types were selected in China and Korea. It is now grown wherever kimchi and hot-pot shops need a reliable sweet cabbage.
Flavour
Sweet and watery-crisp when raw; silky and still faintly sweet when stewed. The ribs taste cleaner than the leafy edges. Old heads smell sulphurous and go limp.
How to use it
For kimchi, quarter or leaf the head, salt until the ribs bend, then rinse and drain thoroughly or the paste will be brine. Mix gochugaru paste between the leaves, including the thick white parts. In stews and dakgalbi, cut across the rib so pieces cook evenly; add the leafy bits later. It also makes a quick slaw with vinegar and sesame. Do not roast it dry for a long time like Savoy — it has more water and will stew unless the heat is fierce. The core is edible if sliced thin.
Storage
Fridge crisper, wrapped so it does not dry. A whole head lasts a week; cut surfaces should be used sooner.
Recipes using it
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