Korean Traditional "Kimchi"
Kimchi is well known around the world as a representative food of Korea. But now and then, others try to claim it as their own. These claims have come especially from Korea’s close neighbors — China and Japan.
One of the earliest international disputes over kimchi emerged back in 2000, during the establishment of Codex standards for fermented vegetables. At the time, a subtle but fierce debate unfolded between Korea and Japan over what the official name for kimchi should be. Japan pushed for “Kimuchi,” based on its local pronunciation, while Korea insisted on “Kimchi.” In the end, the standard adopted was “Kimchi,” a rightful recognition of Korea as the country of origin.
Two decades later, a similar controversy flared up — this time sparked by China. In 2020, China announced new industrial standards for “pao cai,” a pickled vegetable dish from the Sichuan region. Chinese media then falsely reported that pao cai had “won international recognition as the global standard for kimchi,” igniting a wave of claims that kimchi originated in China.
Given the geographic and cultural closeness of Korea, China, and Japan, it’s not surprising that the three countries have influenced one another in many ways — including their culinary traditions. All three share similar climates and agricultural conditions, which means many ingredients overlap. But shared ingredients do not erase the cultural identity of a dish. Just as each nation has its own customs and history, it has its own distinct cuisine.
Kimchi is not just food. It is the living cultural heritage of the Korean people, developed and handed down through generations in accordance with the unique conditions of the Korean Peninsula.
Pao Cai: China’s Pickled Vegetables
China's Pao Cai
In November 2020, the Chinese state-run Global Times reported that Sichuan pao cai had received ISO certification and that it had been “recognized as the international standard for kimchi.” But this claim was untrue. A close look at the actual ISO document reveals a disclaimer that reads: “This document does not apply to Kimchi.”
International media outlets like the BBC later corrected the misinformation, but many Chinese internet users have continued to assert that kimchi is part of their own food culture. For instance, popular Chinese YouTuber Li Ziqi uploaded a video of herself making kimchi and kimchi stew, tagging it with “Chinese Cuisine” and “Chinese Food.” On Baidu, China’s biggest search engine, kimchi is described as a dish that was “introduced from China during the Three Kingdoms period.” The claim: kimchi is just another version of pao cai.
But pao cai and kimchi are fundamentally different. Pao cai is made by soaking vegetables in boiled and spiced brine — often likened to Western-style pickles. Because the brine is boiled and heavily salted, microbial activity is minimal, and its lactic acid bacteria content is only one-hundredth or even one-thousandth of that found in fully fermented kimchi.
Pickled vegetables are found throughout agrarian societies in temperate climates — like Germany’s sauerkraut, Japan’s tsukemono, and of course, Korea’s kimchi. But kimchi stands apart. Unlike other pickled dishes that simply soak vegetables in brine, kimchi is first salted, rinsed, and drained — then mixed with a rich array of seasonings. This double process boosts fermentation and produces deep, layered flavors that are entirely unique to Korean kimchi.
Kimchi and Japan’s “Kimuchi”
The word kimuchi (キムチ) is simply the Japanese transcription of “kimchi,” altered due to the phonetic limitations of the Japanese language — particularly the lack of final consonants.
But in the past, Japan went further, at times claiming that kimuchi was the original form of kimchi. When kimchi was designated as an official food of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Japan began lobbying to promote kimuchi on the international stage. It even served kimuchi at an official state dinner during a visit by then-U.S. President Bill Clinton.
In 1996 and 1998, Japan attempted to register kimuchi as an official food for the Atlanta Olympics and the France World Cup, respectively. It also pushed to have kimuchi recognized as a Codex standard. However, in 2001, the Codex Alimentarius Commission officially adopted Korea’s “Kimchi” as the international standard.
The dish known in Japan as kimuchi is essentially a simplified, sweetened version of Korean kimchi. Often resembling geotjeori (fresh, unfermented kimchi), kimuchi omits key ingredients such as fermented seafood, garlic, and Korean chili flakes — using instead sugar and vinegar to suit Japanese tastes. It was developed by Japanese chefs influenced by Korean-Japanese immigrants during the colonial period and adapted to local preferences and available ingredients.
Japan’s economic boom in the 1950s fueled a rise in meat consumption, and kimuchi gained popularity as a tangy side dish to cut through the richness of grilled meat. Over time, many Japanese began to view kimuchi as a native dish. But beginning in the late 1980s, the spicy flavor of authentic Korean kimchi began gaining popularity in Japan, and as cultural exchanges increased between the two countries, Korea began exporting more of its kimchi to Japan.
Today, Japan generally acknowledges the distinction between the two. Kimuchi is understood as a localized adaptation — a Japanese twist on Korea’s beloved dish.
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