This is “NK Market Trends,” bringing you
news about the North Korean economy every week, and today, we are accompanied
by reporter Kang Mi Jin. But first, let’s take a look at the market’s
performance over the past week.*
A kg of rice cost 4880 KPW in Pyongyang, 4800
KPW in Sinuiju, and 4750 KPW in Hyesan. The exchange rate was 8500 KPW to the
dollar in Pyongyang, 8760 KPW in Sinuiju, and 8800 KPW in Hyesan. A kg of corn
kernels cost 1800 KPW in Pyongyang and Sinuiju, and 1900 KPW in Hyesan. A kg of
pork cost 11000 KPW in Pyongyang, 11500 KPW in Sinuiju, and 10600 KPW in
Hyesan. A kg of gasoline cost 7400 KPW in Pyongyang, 7300 KPW in Sinuiju and
Hyesan. A kg of diesel cost 5350 KPW in Pyongyang, 5200 KPW in Sinuiju, and 5250
KPW in Hyesan. This has been Weekly Marketplace Prices.
1. Most NK residents are busy with making
kimchi at this time of the year, while residents in some regions have now
finished. As in SK, each areas of NK also have their own particular types of
kimchi, and this is what reporter Kang will discuss with us today.
According to our sources, most residents of
Yanggang Province have finished their preparations. However, residents in
Hwanghae Province, parts of North Hamgyong Province, as well as in some of the interior
provinces are still making kimchi. Today’s topic is the different types of
kimchi according to geographical region and by the level of affluence. Napa
cabbage kimchi is the predominant kimchi in NK, although, as you mentioned, different
regions have their particular kimchi. What type of kimchi is made at your
house?
1-1. My in-laws are from Seoul. Our kimchi
is made mainly with napa cabbage, and is seasoned not very salty or spicy. We
also make bossam kimchi (a special kimchi that uses a lot of
shrimp pickling and other seafood additions, particularly oyster). But my parents are from Jeolla Province, so we
make leaf mustard and radish water kimchi.
Ah, I see. You know, Kimchi is a more
indispensible addition to the table in North Korea. The reason is that other
foods and side dishes are plentiful in SK, whereas in NK, kimchi is the only
side dish for most of the year. Other foods and side dishes are eaten only
during the holidays or on special occasions like birthdays. Although the
standard of life in NK has improved, kimchi is still the only side dish most of
the time. Kimchi is often described as the “sustenance for half the
year.”
2. What type of kimchi is made in the high,
mountainous regions of Yanggang and North Hamgyong Provinces?
In those regions, kimchi is made with napa
cabbage, radish, leaf mustard, young radish, and dried radish leaves. They also
season hot peppers so that it can be eaten in spring. In SK, anchovy extract is
used in seasoning, but NK residents grind whole raw anchovies with mortars and
put it in the seasoning. In households that prepare packed lunches, they make kimchi
in a slightly different way so that the kimchi does not have too much fluid in
it, and thereby leak out of the lunchbox. Cabbages are cut up, left out to dry
slightly, then dressed with seasoning.
Residents of Yanggang Province use seasonal
vegetables to make their kimchi. In spring, it is wild or cultivated leaf
mustard. Spring parsley is the vegetable of the summer, and red radishes in
late summer. Red radish kimchi doesn’t need a lot of seasoning, so that you can
make red radish water kimchi just by adding green onions. In fall, cabbage
kimchi is eaten a lot, and in late fall, they make enough kimchi using napa
cabbage, radish, and cubed radish to last the year.
3. I think it is the same for the residents
of SK and NK that they don’t tire of kimchi even after eating it all year
round.
That is true. Kimchi in Yanggang Province
is not made with much fish or other pickled seafood, whereas kimchi in Hamgyong
Province is prepared with a lot of fish, particularly plaice and pollock.
Kkakdugi made with fish tastes excellent as well.
Cubed radish kimchi, known as kkakdugi, in
NK is made with less seasoning, and the cube sizes are smaller as well.
Residents of Yanggang and Hamgyong Provinces do not make much kkakdugi because
it begins to decompose and change tastes in spring. Residents of South Pyongan
and Hwanghae Province also make more radish water kimchi than kkakdugi.
4. Let’s now discuss the kimchi of North
and South Pyongan and Hwanghae Provinces.
Residents of North and South Hwanghae
Provinces make a lot of white kimchi. I once visited a cousin who lived in
Pukchang County of South Pyongan Province, and her household prepared only
white kimchi. This kimchi is seasoned mostly with salt and very little chili
pepper powder, but it is just as spicy as leaf mustard kimchi. It is made with
a lot of water, and because very little seasoning went into the kimchi, the
broth is sweet and spicy, and makes an excellent base for noodles.
White kimchi tastes much better when it is
fermented with radish pieces placed in between. Noodles in white kimchi broth is
particularly wonderful in spring. I
lived in North Hwanghae Province in the late 1980s for a few years. Residents in both Hwanghae Provinces make a
lot of red radish kimchi instead of kkakdugi as in the northern provinces. The
bossam kimchi of Hwanghae Province is more famous than white kimchi.
5. It all sounds so delicious. Although we
can’t taste it now, I hope we can share these dishes together upon reunification. Let’s move on to talk a bit about kimchi in Chagang
Province and Kangwon Province.
Changang Province is highly influenced by
surrounding provinces, namely North Pyongan Province and Yanggang Province.
Because of that people in Changang Province typically make kimchi with napa
cabbage and mustard leaves, as do the residents of Chagang Province. This
province is also well known for its julienned radish kimchi. Let me give a
short explanation of NK’s leaf mustard kimchi. The leaf mustard in NK doesn’t
have as large leaves or stems as that of SK, and grows as large as spinach
plants. Moreover, it has a long growing season from early spring to late fall,
and grows to maturity in a very short time, so that it is a popular food option
for many residents. Leaf mustard kimchi can be prepared just by seasoning it
with brine, so that residents who aren’t very affluent can easily prepare it. Leaf
mustard kimchi that’s been seasoned through the winter tastes exceptional.
In Kangwon Province, kimchi made with
seafood is very popular as in South Hamgyong Province. Seafood is used in
kkakdugi and napa cabbage kimchi, as well as julienned radish kimchi.
6. Are residents of modest incomes able to
prepare kimchi that’s particular to their regions? Obviously, those who are
affluent use the best ingredients for their kimchi, right?
Of course. Standard of living has
a large impact on the taste and type of kimchi. Those who are not very affluent
often make kimchi with dried radish leaves, using all leaves except for the very
worst ones on the outside. A source recently informed me that there are not
many residents who use nothing but brine as seasoning. Affluent residents often
make kimchi particularly with guests in mind. Such kimchi is made with napa
cabbages, along with pollack, plaice, and clams.
When other vegetables are not available,
especially in seasons where the harvest is bad, then obviously not much kimchi
can be prepared. In such seasons, the taste and nutrition of kimchi is
obviously lacking compared to other seasons. In addition to the different types
of kimchi discussed today, bean sprout kimchi is eaten by many residents and
enjoyed throughout all year. In households of upper classes, they make a
variety of kimchi with napa cabbages, radishes, cucumbers, and green onions,
use pollack and palaice in the seasoning, and even make the seasoning base with
beef broth.
Today’s topic has been the different types
of kimchi in different parts of NK. I hope that reunification takes place soon
enough so that we can all taste for ourselves all the kimchi that we’ve talked
about today.
*This segment reflects market conditions for the week of November 16-20.
