kimchi

noun

kim·​chi ˈkim-chē 

variants or less commonly kimchee

: a spicy, pungent vegetable dish that consists of one or more pickled and fermented vegetables and especially napa cabbage and radishes with various seasonings (such as garlic, red chili pepper, ginger, scallions, and anchovy paste) and that is the national dish of South Korea

To Koreans, life without "kimchi"—that spicy, fermented pickled vegetable mixture, which accompanies every Korean meal—is unthinkable.

—K. Connie Kang

Korean buckwheat noodles have more of a kick, often delivered with a little spicy kimchi.

—David Tanis

Examples of kimchi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Every few days, the team has to buy a new batch of kimchi, Deer said. —Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025

Kim demonstrated making kimchi for the crowd. —Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Don’t worry if some kimchi falls out of the sandwich into the pan; those crunchy bits that toast up in bacon grease and butter are gold. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025

Two of Fort Worth’s all-time favorite burgers, Fred’s Texas Cafe’s green chile cheeseburger and Tommy’s Hamburgers’ Thai kimchi cheeseburger, are on the list. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Korean kimch'i

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above