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How to Make Kimchi in Hours, Not Days

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Yes, it’s possible

A traditional Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage, kimchi is an acquired taste for some and a borderline obsession for others (South Koreans consume two million metric tons of the stuff per year). But whipping up the snack at home can be quite an undertaking: Lacto-fermentation, the same process used to make pickles and sauerkraut, involves days, and sometimes even weeks, of waiting time to achieve peak fizzy funkiness. Our friends at ChefSteps developed a shortcut recipe that slashes kimchi prep time to just two hours, but requires one secret ingredient and one unlikely kitchen tool.

Lactic acid and a whipping syphon (or whipped cream canister) make this quick turnaround possible; both are commonly used in ChefSteps's arsenal of kitchen tips and tricks, and both are worth having around. Watch the video above for a visual lesson in using the two to make lightning-fast kimchi, or click here to follow along with the recipe on ChefSteps.com.

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