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

Traditional preparations — Korean kimchi, Japanese miso, Eastern European sauerkraut, Central Asian kefir — have been refined over centuries to preserve the microbial communities that make these foods more than the sum of their ingredients. —Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026

Add kimchi or sauerkraut to sandwiches and burgers. —Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 15 May 2026

Sukyong not only took care of Charles during that time, but even made her famous kimchi for the journalists covering the film. —Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

The tuna salad is mixed with kimchi and soy sauce, pantry ingredients that add bright heat and umami. —The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Korean kimch'i

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above