A Recipe We Never Made, A Memory I’ll Always Keep

Scrolling through YouTube, I came across a video that featured an Iranian expert in fermentation creating pineapple kimchi. Intrigued and inspired, I decided to give it a shot. But as I began preparing the ingredients, I found myself thinking about my Grandma. It wasn’t just a passing thought; it was as if her presence enveloped the room.

My Grandma, who passed away a few months ago, had taught me many life lessons through cooking. While kimchi isn’t something we traditionally made, I couldn't help but draw parallels between this labour-intensive dish and the intricate recipes she used to teach me.

To honour her memory, I started a playlist on Spotify, named it after her and filled it with the songs she used to hum while cooking. I played the songs and started peeling and chopping the vegetables; her essence was in every step of preparation.

Cooking with my grandma was always an immersive experience. One time, I asked her to teach me how to make torshi, an Iranian-style pickled vegetable side dish. Pickling, much like kimchi-making, isn’t just about following recipes; it’s about timing, intuition, and patience. Both dishes transform humble vegetables through the alchemy of fermentation into something bold, complex, and deeply cultural. Torshi and kimchi may come from different corners of the world, but they share the same spirit—of preserving not just food, but memory, tradition, and love.

She never refused to teach me, but I guess we never found the right time. We never had the chance to make torshi together—but this kimchi, in a way, was not made by me alone. My grandma was with me, in the music, in the memory, and even more so in the kitchen—guiding my hands, every step of the way.

How to Make Pineapple Kimchi

For those of you eager to try something new, pineapple kimchi is a twist on the traditional Korean dish. Its bright sweetness balances the spiciness and tanginess of fermented kimchi, creating a symphony of flavours. Here’s a step-by-step guide.

The original recipe I used was based on a video in Farsi. So, if you understand Farsi its best to watch the video. If not, you can follow the recipe below. It is super easy.

Ingredients You'll Need:

For the base:

• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks

• 1 horseradish, chopped

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 3 spring onions, chopped

For the seasoning paste:

• 2 cloves garlic

• A small piece of ginger, about the size of your thumb tip, peel is with a spoon!

• 2 tablespoons Korean red chili powder (gochugaru)

• 100ml mineral water

Recipe Steps:

1. Prepare the Vegetables:

Cut the pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Put the pieces in a bowl and add sea salt to it. Wash and chop the horseradish, carrots, and spring onions and put them aside.

2. Make the Seasoning Paste:

Blend together garlic, ginger, gochugaru, and water until you have a thick paste. Adjust seasoning to your spice preference.

3. Combine It All:

Toss the pineapple, horseradish, carrots, and spring onions together in a large mixing bowl. Add the seasoning paste and mix well, ensuring every piece is coated.

5. Pack and Ferment:

Transfer the mixture into a clean, airtight jar. Leave about 1 inch of headspace at the top. Press the mixture down firmly to remove air pockets. You can use a small glass lid on top of it before closing the jar lid.

6. Fermentation Period:

Leave the jar at room temperature for 1-3 days or in the fridge for 7 days. Taste-test it daily; once it develops your preferred level of tanginess, move it to the fridge to slow down fermentation. If you keep it in the fridge open the lid once every 24 hours.