[News Today] BEST TIME TO MAKE KIMCHI

[LEAD]
Today is Kimchi Day in Korea. Amid the main kimchi-making season, the unusually warm weather has left many unsure about when to start. Let's take a look.

[REPORT]
The top concern of many homemakers these days is gimjang, or the process of making kimchi for the winter.

They are mostly worried about the skyrocketing prices of napa cabbages stemming from the unusually warm fall weather.

Though prices have fallen to some extent recently, a head of napa cabbage still costs over 3,000 won, or slightly over 2 dollars, which is about 17% higher than last year.

Lee Hye-young / Daejeon resident
When to make kimchi? Cabbages, other vegetables are expensive. (Do you like the prices here?) No, they are higher than I thought.

The government believes that prices of chili pepper powder and garlic have stabilized, and prices of napa cabbages will also drop further when their shipment begins in earnest later this month.

Another concern is when to make kimchi for the upcoming winter amid the unusually warm weather.

The ideal time for gimjang is when the median daily temperature is lower than minus 4 degrees Celsius and daytime lows are below 0. In other words, when the outside temperature is similar to the temperature in the refrigerator.

Even though many households store their kimchi in kimchi refrigerators these days, weather conditions still have a profound impact on the taste of this staple Korean dish.

Park Sung-hee / World Institute of Kimchi
Cool weather is better for making kimchi because that's when napa cabbages become tasty, lactic acid bacteria generated in ingredients are more active.

In light of the weather and napa cabbage prices, the best time for gimjang this year will probably be some time between this coming weekend and next week.