If you find kimchi is too spicy or have a food intolerance to nightshade vegetables, you will want to make your kimchi without red pepper flakes. The first time I made White Kimchi, I was unimpressed with the flavor. Kimchi without red pepper flakes can be rather bland. I’ve learned a few tricks since then.
You can learn how to make kimchi from my post Kimchi 101. To make White Kimchi, just remove the red pepper flakes. To make the White Kimchi taste better, here are a few ideas.
- Add more ginger. This will give it the bite to overcome the blandness.
- Add more carrots. This is will give it a little more sweetness.
- Add some sugar, sliced apples or sliced pears. Doing this will accelerate the fermentation to about 2-3 days and add a little sweetness.
White Kimchi heavy on the ginger and without carrots. Carrots would have made it better.
Note that this recipe will not have the great flavor found in a longer sauerkraut type ferment. One of the things I really like about Napa cabbage kimchi is the short fermentation time. If you find white kimchi too bland and have 4 weeks, then I suggest making sauerkraut. My Cortido Sauerkraut recipe can just as easily be made without jalapenos and red pepper flakes.