Add a Dash of Sourness and Umami to Any Dish with Shigenobu Hatsue’s Fermented Napa Cabbage!

Winter napa cabbage is sweet, fresh, and juicy. If you manage to get a hold of it cheap, why not try making some deliciously sour-tasting Chinese pickles by fermenting it? All you do is salt the cabbage, and the lactic acid fermentation process will begin. Fermented napa cabbage is pleasantly sour, with just the right amount of umami. You can use it in all kinds of dishes, which is the wonderful thing about it.

“It’s easy to make, but there are a few tricks to keep in mind.” So says culinary expert Shigenobu Hatsue, who is so fond of fermented napa cabbage that she’s written an entire cookbook about it. Here she tells us how to make it using a ziplock plastic bag, so it can be compactly stored in the fridge. She also shares some serving suggestions. Her observations about kimchi are a must-read as well, since she really knows Korean food.

Just napa cabbage pickled in salt, yet it tastes exquisite.

Hatsue really loves pickles. She first came across fermented napa cabbage at a popular eatery in the Kanda neighborhood of Tokyo called Ajibo, which serves eastern Chinese cuisine . “That was about twenty years ago, soon after the place opened. I had it stewed with pork belly, and the sourness and umami released by the fermented napa cabbage were exquisite. A wonderful flavor permeated my mouth.”

Later, on a trip to Taiwan, she tried pickled cabbage hot pot made with fermented napa cabbage. That convinced her once and for all how good fermented napa cabbage tasted. She then began making it herself and using it in her own cooking: hot pot and stir-fries and stewed dishes.

“You can capitalize on fermented napa cabbage’s sourness, umami, and saltiness in your cooking. They give the flavor depth, no matter how simple the dish or flavoring may be. Everything turns out delicious.”

Another great thing about these pickles is that they’re so easy to make. The only ingredients required are napa cabbage and salt. The lactic acid bacteria that drive the fermentation process are good for you. And the pickles are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber from the napa cabbage.

To avoid botching the pickling process, use 3% salt.

But while the prep is easy, beware of mold forming during storage. This can happen if the cabbage is exposed to air or left for an extended period at room temperature.

“The key to avoiding mold is the amount of salt. The salt for pickling the cabbage should be equivalent to 3 percent the cabbage’s weight.”

Let the cabbage ferment for a day or two at room temperature. It will then keep for six months in the fridge. It ferments slowly, and the longer you store it, the deeper the flavor. “Personally, I like it pickled for about a week.” (See the photo at the top of this article.) “It tastes equally good cooked or uncooked. When it’s been pickled for several months, it’s great for hot pot and stewed dishes. Experiment to determine the length of pickling right for you.”

Want to eat lots of fermented napa cabbage, and intending to have it uncooked? In that case, it will leave you a bit thirsty if pickled in 3 percent salt. To make it more palatable, Hatsue suggests reducing the salt content to 2 percent. “But you should eat it all the sooner. Store it for a month or two at most. If it does go moldy, remove the five centimeters of cabbage around the mold and be sure to cook the rest before eating.”

Recipe for fermented napa cabbage

Fermented napa cabbage serving suggestions. You can pair it with olive oil or sausages to create a Western-style meal.

At the mention of fermented napa cabbage, the first dish many people think of is what the natives call “pickled cabbage and white meat hot pot,” in which it’s served with pork belly. Fermented napa cabbage also features in Chinese-style stir-fries and stewed dishes. Hatsue, however, encourages people to enjoy it in a wider range of cuisine.

“Being made with such simple ingredients—just napa cabbage and salt—it goes well with Western food as well. It nicely complements cheese, another fermented food.”

You can make a no-fuss salad simply by lightly draining some fermented napa cabbage and dressing it with olive oil. “Coating it with oil tones down the saltiness, making it a pleasure to eat in large quantities. You can also dress it with other ingredients.”

Beside olive oil, fermented napa cabbage can be dressed with sesame or other oils or even mayonnaise.

Another idea Hatsue shared is to serve fermented napa cabbage à la choucroute by stewing it with thick sausages and onion. “When you use it in place of German sauerkraut, it gives the dish a pleasant aroma. The flavor comes together nicely even if you don’t add salt.”

Boil one-third a cup of white wine. Add half a thinly sliced onion, 300g fermented napa cabbage (undrained), 4 large sausages, and 300ml water. Once the liquid comes to a boil, put on the lid and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. (Quantities are for 2 servings.) Sprinkle with coarse-ground black pepper to finish. Garnish with whole-grain mustard to taste.

I like my kimchi fermented enough that it’s nice and sour.

Hatsue has visited Korea on many occasions. She’s even written a book about Korean food. She’s explored how the Korea fermented pickle kimchi tastes in the land of its birth and taken part in kimchi-pickling events there, all in quest of the perfect kimchi recipe. She also often buys kimchi at the store.

“I like my kimchi well fermented. A lot of kimchi these days is lightly pickled. It’s only slightly pickled when you buy it, which tastes great, but if you want to enjoy that inimitable kimchi flavor, wait until it turns sour. I prefer to eat it after leaving it in the fridge for a while.”

Hatsue swears by kimchi from Daiichibussan in the Ueno district of Tokyo, one of the oldest kimchi places around. “Their kimchi is made the old-fashioned way, and it tastes delicious even after it turns sour. Their umeboshi kimchi in honey is positively addictive, not to mention their standard kimchi made from napa cabbage. Their limited seasonal offerings can also be strongly recommended.”

Kimchi from Daiichibussan. Right: Standard kimchi made from napa cabbage: Left: Turnip kimchi, available only in fall and winter.

Kimchi can be used as a flavor enhancer once it sours.

Hatsue recommends using kimchi that has turned sour in various dishes. The fermentation process increases its umami, and cooking alleviates its acidity. “Why wouldn’t you use it?” she says.

“Extra-aged kimchi is available specifically for using in cooking. Have fun stir-frying it with pork or putting it in soup or chijimi (Korean pancake).”