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

Another family tradition is including kimchi on the table for Lindsay's mom, who is Korean. —Sarah Sotoodeh , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 2025

Lili Gattyán likes to balance proteins like chicken and tofu with different vegetables like kimchi, purple cabbage, and artichokes and healthy fats like avocados. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2025

Add kimchi to your rice bowl or a spoonful of sauerkraut on top of roasted veggies. —Essence, 19 Nov. 2025

Experts say synbiotics can be done through food pairings like yogurt with fruit or kimchi with rice. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Korean kimch'i

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above