Curriculum Linkage: Integrated Korean Traditional Culture for Grades 1-2
Nuri Course Link: Healthy Living, Healthy Eating, Eat a Variety of Foods.


Vegetables growing luxuriantly in the autumn fields
Cabbage kimchi, cubed radish kimchi, bachelor kimchi, green onion kimchi, dongchimi, etc.
It turns into delicious kimchi.
The story of freshly pickled kimchi maturing into sweet, sour, and tangy healthy kimchi!

Five Kimchi's Self-Bragging
There are many different types of kimchi.
Depending on what vegetables are used as main ingredients and how it is made, each kimchi is different.
If various kimchis could introduce themselves, what would they say? "Kimchi is the Best" was inspired by the old tale "The Battle of the Seven Dwarves in Gyujung Chilwoo," and the playful idea was conceived: "If the five kimchis we eat most often were to boast that they were the best, what would they boast about?"
The story begins with the transformation of vegetables from the autumn field into five unique kimchi jars.


Main text
Mix seasoning and cabbage, it's cabbage kimchi.
It's radish kimchi, made by mixing seasoning and diced radish.
Mix the seasoning and green onions, and make green onion kimchi.
It's bachelor kimchi, made by mixing seasoning and bachelor radish.
Round radish dipped in salt water instead of seasoning, it's a refreshing dongchimi.


The kimchis that have finally succeeded in transforming from vegetables into kimchi boast on the jar lid that they are the best kimchi.


Main text
“I am Dongchimi, swimming in clear water.” - Dongchimi
“We are square, so we can build a tall tower.” - Kakdugi
“Look at my long, slender body.” - Pa Kimchi
“I think only our bachelor kimchi has bulging, rounded edges.” - Bachelor Kimchi
“No one is as fancy as our cabbage kimchi.” - Cabbage Kimchi

The five kimchis show off their individuality by making the most confident gestures.
Dongchimi swims, radish kimchi stacks up like a tower, green onion kimchi flutters and shows off its slender body, and bachelor kimchi shows off its flesh.
Lastly, for cabbage kimchi, spread out the flat cabbage leaves to create a flower garden.
Although it may seem like the kimchis are just showing off, this is actually the main characteristic of each kimchi.
The brightly colored pictures vividly and enjoyably show the characteristics of these kimchis.
Just by watching the kimchis compete against each other, you can learn and become familiar with the names of the five kimchis.
This pleasant encounter continues at the dinner table, and every time I eat kimchi, I find it easy to recall the name and characteristics of kimchi.


Children ripening like kimchi
Freshly pickled kimchi boasts that it is the best.
They don't care about other kimchis and fight, boasting that theirs is the best.
In times like these, the old lady who has been pickling for a long time and is well-fermented comes forward.
Grandma tells us that “each type of kimchi has its own taste and appearance.”
Then, he gathers the kimchis who were showing off and makes them hold hands in a circle.
The kimchis, holding hands, become one under the large moonlight and spin around and around, performing Ganggangsullae.
“I want to make healthy kimchi.
“I want to become healthy kimchi.” All kimchi sings of the hope that it will ripen into healthy kimchi with living, breathing lactic acid bacteria.
Kimchi is the Best depicts the process of ripening kimchi from its unruly, lumpy texture into healthy kimchi with a deep flavor.
The process of kimchi fermenting is similar to a child who only knew himself becoming an adult by interacting with others.
Through the fermentation process of kimchi, we can learn the wisdom of life, which is to acknowledge our differences, unite with one another, and mature.


Kimjang, our proud culture
Kimchi is a side dish that is always on our table.
Kimchi is a food that originated from vegetables rich in minerals and vitamins that were pickled in salt or soy sauce.
It is said that after the Imjin War in the Joseon Dynasty, red pepper powder was introduced and salted seafood was used, which led to the kimchi that we know today.

'Kimjang' is our food culture of making and storing a lot of kimchi to eat throughout the winter in late autumn.
Since ancient times, when kimchi-making season came, neighbors helped each other make kimchi together and shared the kimchi with each other.
Kimjang is said to be a good example of our community culture overflowing with affection, and was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity this year.

In Kimchi is the Best, you can get a glimpse of our kimchi-making culture, where neighbors wash kimchi ingredients, prepare kimchi ingredients, and make kimchi seasoning.
It's a little tough, but I feel a warm affection for them as they work together with smiles.
Also, the front cover introduces the process of making cabbage kimchi, and the back cover introduces various types of kimchi, providing a wealth of information about kimchi.