APAD(ish) #3: Kimchi

[nonelvis]

A new Korean supermarket opened up in Burlington, so we decided to stop by for a look. I'd heard the grand opening had been a madhouse, with huge crowds and traffic backups, and apparently things weren't much improved a week later -- there were cops directing traffic, and we had to park the equivalent of a couple of blocks away, behind an entirely different supermarket.

H Mart had a tremendous selection, though, with beautiful produce and an entire corner of the store devoted to kimchi and banchan. The photo is of the refrigerated case with the kimchi, but there were two more cases this same size filled with miscellaneous jarred pickles and salads, and a massive array of other pickles and salads available for bulk purchase or sampling.



We picked up hot pickled garlic, umeboshi, and kimchi-stuffed pickles (SO GOOD), along with shiso leaves, Shanghai noodles, spicy pre-pressed tofu pieces, a couple different kinds of soy sauce, assorted cookies, and two ceramic bowls perfect for serving bi bim bap. It was too crowded for us to get into the food court (plus we never saw an ATM), or we'd have stopped to get columbina a late lunch and me a red bean bun.

Next time. There's clearly going to be a next time, after all.

Comments

[peebles.livejournal.com]

Today is also a major holiday (chusok). It's possible that's responsible for the traffic.

[nonelvis]

I had no idea, but now that I've googled Chusok, it explains why people were all over the chestnuts in the produce section.

I really wished you'd been there with us to translate labels and recommend what to buy!

[papilio-luna.livejournal.com]

I haven't made kimchi in a really long time. I might have to rectify that before it gets so cold that everything refuses to ferment.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

I can't abide kimchi, but my husband loves it. Looks like a great selection and I like the shot.

[nonelvis]

I have a batch of Gourmet's quick kimchi in the fridge right now waiting to be added to quesadillas tomorrow night. Kimchi is my favorite way to use up the CSA's napa cabbage!

[nonelvis]

I figured kimchi would fall into your Evil Pickled Things category ;)

By the way, I was not the only person there taking a picture of the kimchi! Someone else had a DSLR they were using for close-up shots.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

Evil pickled and fermented things, oh yes.