Madam Kimchi
Madam Kimchi began during a period of change.
Eight years ago, I left South Korea to study in the Netherlands. What followed were further transitions: shifts in work, residence, priorities, and social circles.
I became interested in how people find ground amid change. Making became one way of exploring that question, and kimchi became one of its forms.
Through kimchi, I learned that making is not only about producing something, but about giving attention and care to ingredients, tools, time, and people.
Madam Kimchi grew from that practice. It is a workroom for developing food, selecting tools for everyday makers, and bringing people together through sessions.
"Kimchi is both a mirror and a compass."
- Youn, founder of Madam Kimchi
Every batch is shaped by where I am now: the vegetables available in the Netherlands, the season, the people who will eat it, and the flavors I carry from Busan, the southern port city where I was born and raised. From choosing the ingredients to salting the vegetables and preparing the paste, every decision leaves a trace of the present.
Hand- and home-made kimchi has never been only one thing. Every household, and often every batch, has its own character. That is why I enjoy working with locally grown Dutch produce, vegan pastes, fruit, and ingredients associated with other food cultures. A winter turnip from Zwolle's Friday market, paksoi, or pineapple can become part of a kimchi while remaining grounded in the techniques and cultural knowledge behind it.
My approach is also rooted in Busan, inevitably. Its food is bold, direct, and sometimes a little rough around the edges, much like the city and its people. I do not begin by weakening those flavors because I assume Dutch customers will not enjoy them. I prefer to share the taste as I know it, invite an honest response, and adapt from there when adaptation is meaningful.
