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“Arirang Kimchi, for 30 years, has been in Korean markets in the East Coast area. I decided to make it my responsibility to make the brand known to non-Koreans.”

Meet Kyung Oh/Co-Founder and, her daughter, Vicky Oh/General Manager of Arirang Kimchi, an artisan kimchi company located in Englewood, New Jersey. “Arirang”, it was explained, is a Korean word with no direct meaning; but for Koreans, like Kyung and Vicky, it’s a word that stands for soul: Korean soul. And Arirang Kimchi certainly has soul, way more soul and way more passion in a jar than I expected.

Kyung Oh first started experimenting with kimchi recipes over 30 years ago when she moved to the United States on her honeymoon – obsessing over perfecting the flavor of kimchi that reminded her of home. The end result, over years of testing, was so good, and so loved by family and friends, her husband encouraged her to start a kimchi business. And in 1981, Arirang Kimchi was born. Always Fresh. Always Delicious. is their company motto – a tagline they live up to by keeping the product hand chopped, hand washed, handmade and hand jarred with pride and love for their customers.

So, come watch my story and see what goes into making premium quality kimchi. Honestly, there’s something about it that really stands out from other kimchi brands. It’s so crisp and so fresh. I mean, REALLY crisp and fresh. When you bite into it, it’s got a snap to it, it bites back at you – a quality hard to find in most kimchi I’ve tried. It’s also got a perfect spicy kick that comes on strong to say hello, but doesn’t linger to hurt you. And packed into the handmade red pepper sauce is just the right pungent, sweet, salty, gingery, garlicky balance that’ll make you crave kimchi like none other. It’s versatile. It’s good with meats. It’s good in ramen. It’s good just on its own. And it lasts in your fridge forever. My guess, with kimchi trending in the food world, it won’t take them very long to get non-Koreans to notice.

To try Arirang Kimchi, you can pick up a jar at select markets across New York City, New Jersey and Brooklyn, such as: Blue Apron Foods & Brooklyn Fare (Brooklyn), H&Y Mart (Flushing & Long Island), HanNam Supermarket (Fort Lee). Their most popular products to shop for are listed below:

  • Mahk Kimchi (cut napa kimchi)
  • Pouki Kimchi (quartered napa kimchi)
  • Chongkak Kimchi (Baby radish kimchi)
  • Kak Doo Gi (daikon radish kimchi)

And FYI – Mrs Oh’s red pepper sauce is a well protected secret, so I wasn’t allowed to film the making of it; but, the whole process is exciting to watch nonetheless.

Thanks so much for watching food. curated.! Happy eating!