Kimchi Refrigerator: An Essential Appliance in Korean Homes

In Korea, there are separate kimchi refrigerators that primarily store kimchi.

If you're not Korean, you might not fully understand the origin of kimchi refrigerators. Let me briefly explain. First, we can't avoid talking about kimchi.

Origin of Kimchi

Kimchi started being called by various names, with records appearing during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). Kimchi was stored in earthenware pots and buried in the ground. The reason for this is that Korea has distinct four seasons, and summers are particularly hot and humid, making it easy for kimchi to ferment too quickly or spoil.

Not only in summer, but also in winter, there was a risk that fermentation wouldn't occur properly due to excessively cold temperatures.

For this reason, kimchi was placed inside earthenware pots, and the pots were buried in the ground. The purpose was to maintain a constant temperature throughout summer and winter.

In the past, Korea had many detached houses, but nowadays, most people prefer apartments. The reason for preferring apartments is... I'll explain that another time.

Detached houses had front or back yards where they could dig, but apartments are communal spaces, so digging is not allowed. So, initially, kimchi was stored in refrigerators.

Drawbacks of Storing Kimchi in a Regular Refrigerator

• Frequent opening and closing of the door to take out water or other items leads to frequent temperature changes.
• Refrigerators generally maintain a temperature of 2-5 degrees Celsius (35-41 degrees Fahrenheit).
• The smell of kimchi often permeates the entire refrigerator.

Due to the salt content, kimchi sometimes doesn't freeze even at -1 to -2 degrees Celsius (30-28 degrees Fahrenheit), and maintaining this temperature range is crucial for preserving the taste of kimchi. This led to the use of dedicated kimchi refrigerators.

Referring to the attached image above, the left image shows the traditional kimchi refrigerator that was initially developed and has been widely used for a long time. The right image shows the newer style that is now preferred.

Top-Opening Kimchi Refrigerator

• Thinking about earthenware pots, this top-opening design is very familiar.
• Most are designed with a top-opening style to prevent cold air from escaping.
• By the way, considering that hot air rises and cold air sinks, this is a very good structure.

Stand-Up Kimchi Refrigerator Similar to a Regular Refrigerator

Unlike regular refrigerators, stand-up kimchi refrigerators have many additional features to prevent the cold air from escaping all at once, such as compartmentalization and cold air retention capsules.

Also, the top or bottom compartment is often used as a regular refrigerator. In essence, it's used as an auxiliary refrigerator.

Current Usage of Kimchi Refrigerators in Korea

Although the initial purpose was for storing kimchi, they are now highly regarded as auxiliary refrigerators. For instance, in the past, kimchi refrigerators sold well in October before kimchi-making season (Kimjang), but now they sell consistently throughout the year.

Usage

Besides kimchi, they are also used for storing vegetables, fruits, meat, beverages, alcohol, and more. They are also used for aging sashimi (raw fish), and thawing frozen meat/processed foods and seafood with minimal damage.

By the way, many people also store soju (Korean liquor) in kimchi refrigerators. It reaches a very delicious temperature, haha!

What did you think?

• If you found Korea's kimchi refrigerator culture interesting, please share this post with your friends.
• And I'm curious about your country's culture, so please write a blog post and share it. 😄