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

As with bulgogi or kimchi, many things can be jeon. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026

Kimi developed her own kimchi recipe after traveling to Korea. —Stella Fong, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026

Add kimchi to an existing meal as a topping or a side, Landry says. —Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 20 Feb. 2026

No matter the style, these recipes show just how versatile kimchi can be—inside and far beyond Korean cuisine. —Christina Chaey, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Korean kimch'i

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above