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

Chef/partner Sohui Kim’s menu leans into steakhouse classics like New York strip steak and shrimp cocktail, but there are more modern touches here too like clams kimsino made with bacon-kimchi butter, and crispy hen of the woods mushrooms with black garlic aioli and house Sriracha. —Devra Ferst, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026

In a small, 12-week study of 13 overweight adults who consumed daily kimchi powder capsules, researchers observed measurable changes in immune cell signaling. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Risks and Considerations There are some groups of people who should either avoid or limit kimchi and sauerkraut. —Lauren Manaker Ms, Health, 22 Dec. 2025

Some fermented foods can be high in sodium or sugar (like kimchi and miso or yogurt, kefir, and kombucha, respectively), so that can be something to watch out for. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 10 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Korean kimch'i

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above