| Description |
[Inscribed in 2013 (8.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]
As the temperature falls in late autumn, the topic of choice for most Koreans is kimjang, making a large quantity of kimchi to sustain them through the country’s long and harsh winter. Kimchi, a categorical name for Korean-style preserved vegetables seasoned with local spices and fermented seafood, was recorded as part of Korean diet as early as 760 years ago. Kimchi has been an essential part of Korean meal across class and regional differences. The most humble meal consists of cooked rice and kimchi, but even the most luxurious banquet is not complete without kimchi.
Kimjang incorporates Koreans' understanding of their natural environment, and closely reflects their regional ecosystems. Over time, Koreans have developed methods that best fit their specific natural conditions. Kimjang is thus deeply rooted in the natural milieu of Korean habitats. Preparation for kimjang follows a yearly seasonal cycle. In spring, households secure shrimp, anchovy, and other seafood for salting and fermenting. In summer, they purchase sea salt to be stored for up to two or three years, to let the bitter taste of brine out. In late summer, red chili peppers are dried and ground into powder. In late autumn housewives carefully monitor weather forecasts to determine the optimal date for kimjang: it is important to choose the right temperature for the kimchi to acquire the best taste through storing it in cool and stable conditions. In the custom of exchanging kimchi among households after kimjang, innovative skills and creative ideas are shared and accumulated. |
| Social and cultural significance |
Kimjang, and more broadly kimchi-making, is an important part of Korean identity. Its significance is often thought comparable to Korea's writing system, Hangeul, or the national flag. Despite widespread urbanization and westernization, over 90 percent of Koreans eat home-made kimchi, prepared by household members or supplied by relatives. It means that kimjang is a good opportunity for strengthening family cooperation and solidarity in modern society. Making and sharing kimchi, in particular the collective practice of kimjang, reaffirms Korean identity.
Kimjang is also an important reminder for many Koreans that human communities need to live in harmony with nature. Kimjang is one of the best examples of human creativity and ingenuity in learning knowledge on nature and living in accordance with its rhythms. In other words, Koreans learn to live with, rather than conquer, nature. Recipes and methods for making kimchi are diverse from region to region, from family to family.
As an essential part of winter preparation, kimjang is an occasion for many Koreans to realize and practice the spirit of sharing. Ignoring the need of a neighbor who is too poor to have this essential necessity is unthinkable for many Koreans. In every kimjang season, local communities, volunteer associations, and other groups organize large-scale kimjang events, where often thousands of people participate in kimchi-making. All the kimchi made during these events are donated to people in need. The custom of sharing kimchi made in these collective festivities boosts cohesive solidarity among members of Korean society. |
| Transmission method |
Kimjang skills have been transmitted orally through generations of women in households, and the measurements of ingredients or storing methods have often relied upon family experience. Traditional kinship networks and cooperative work in kimjang are very much alive in modern Korea. According to a 2011 survey conducted by the Cultural Heritage Administration, about 73.8 percent of Koreans said that they regularly participate in kimjang with family members and other acquaintances who may or may not live with them. More knowledgeable and experienced members of such groups in turn transmit the knowledge and skills of kimjang to other members of their networks.
In addition to such everyday, informal methods of transmission, kimjang and kimchi-making in general are also an essential part of formal education. As early as in kindergarten, Korean children learn to make the most basic kinds of kimchi. They learn more elaborate kimchi-making in junior and senior high school. Professional-level training in kimjang skills and a grounding in its historical and cultural significance are offered in cooking schools. There are public and private kimchi museums throughout the country, where its historical change and regional variants of kimjang are exhibited. As Korean society becomes more multicultural, many local communities offer programs for newcomers to learn how to do kimjang from their neighbors. For recent immigrants, participation in kimjang is considered to be a significant step in learning the Korean way of life. |
| Community |
Kimjang, making large quantities of kimchi to sustain Koreans through the long winter months, has been an essential part of preparing for the long harsh season.
Like all cooperative traditions, kimjang is organized along social structures: kimjang communities are formed around kinship ties as well as neighborhood women's work-sharing networks. Late autumn is kimjang season, when these communities make sure that every household will have enough of the staple stored for winter by collectively making and sharing kimchi, distributing some to those who cannot do so.
A variety of socio-cultural entities also practice kimjang for diverse purposes: sharing with less privileged neighbors, promoting cooperation among members, or educating the time-honored tradition to the young. Those entities include cooperations, schools, hosewives' associations, religious organizations, etc.
Virtually all Koreans are practitioners of kimjang. Regional differences exist, and the specific methods and ingredients used in kimjang are considered as an important family heritage that is transmitted through generations. The most typical line of transmission is through the mothers-in-law to the daughters-in-law in patrilineal families. Learning the family-specific method of kimjang is an important part of enculturation for newly married daughters-in-law. Some women in families with long genealogy and prominent heritage have published kimjang cookbooks and teach kimjang classes. They contribute to enriching the diversity and creativity of kimjang in Korean society. In women's work exchange networks, those who have especially good skills and knowledge of kimjang often take the most important role of adjusting the seasoning for kimchi.
The transmission of kimjang knowledge and skills is also carried out through the official curriculum in schools. As early as in elementary school children learn about kimjang and are introduced to kimchi-making. Many kindergartens have kimjang classes where young children make and eat kimchi, to become familiar with its preparation and spicy taste.
Since being able to do kimjang properly and acquiring the palate to appreciate the taste of kimchi are regarded as significant in understanding Korean culture and lifestyle, local communities often offer non-Korean residents opportunities to learn kimjang skills, and this enables them to feel more at home as part of the local community. |
| Type of UNESCO List |
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List |
2013 |
