Eaten with almost every meal in Korea, Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables (e.g., cabbage, chili powder, garlic and scallions) and various seasonings.
There are more than 300 different kinds of kimchi, depending on the main vegetable ingredient used, and the region or season in which they're made.
The KOrea Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA) Sri Lanka Centre has conducted a number of vegetable demonstrations on farmer fields since 2015 to disseminate high-quality technology of vegetable production to Sri Lankan farmers.
Through the demonstrations, it was noted that the consumption of cabbage and radish was very low due to the lack of knowledge in using them while these vegetables have a great potential to grow and create remarkable yields in Sri Lanka.
KOPIA Centre hosted a Kimchi workshop at the Divisional Secretariat at Nuwara Eliya, to publicise ways to utilise cabbage and radish in everyday cooking. The event also aimed to promote the consumption of such vegetables in Sri Lanka.
More than 60 Sri Lankan housewives participated and learned how to make Kimchi from Korean and Sri Lankan food technologists.
During the workshop, food technologist, Kumudinie Gunasekara from Health Lanka Organisation Ltd., demonstrated cooking 10 kinds of cabbage dishes including Sri Lankan soups, curries and salads. Officials of the KOPIA Centre explained how to make Kimchi in a Korean traditional way step by step.
The Centre also educated participants about Kimchi’s nutritional value and benefits. At the request of the participants, the Centre is planning to develop and distribute a booklet on Kimchi-making in local languages and host a Kimchi workshop every year.