Made In Maine, Originated In Korea

mainekimchi

Our Story

I moved to the State of Maine back in 2013 leaving my home country of South Korea. Since my move to the USA, I always missed my mom and aunt's kimchi and, unfortunately, all kimchi products in the US market never really satisfied me. One day my mom was telling me how flavors are really dictated from the ingredients’ quality.  She also mentioned how an ingredients origin can make all the difference. I trust my mom in all food-related matters as her and her twin sister have owned a restaurant my whole life!  My mom and aunt brought a bag of South Korean pepper powder when they visited me and made kimchi for my family. It was the perfect flavor that I had been missing. Since then, I have a strong belief in the importance of key ingredients in recipes, especially kimchi. You cannot ignore how the ingredient was grown, harvested, and processed with climate, soil, and weather conditions in its home country. Our ingredients all come from very trustful and reputable sources from South Korea and local markets in Maine, while availability allows it. 

I have always been interested about healthy and diverse food.  This led me to my university in which I obtained my food engineering bachelor’s degree.  My passion and love of kimchi encouraged me to explore other kimchi types. 

We currently make three types of kimchi that are all naturally free of gluten, sugar, dairy, MSG, and soy, all in small batches. Our traditional kimchi is based on my mom and aunt’s traditional Korean recipe, including salted shrimp and anchovy sauce.  Crunchy napa cabbage with that tangy, spicy flavor that goes well with almost anything!  Our vegan kimchi is free of the top nine allergens, and yet still has the true umami, rich flavor.  Lastly, our baek kimchi is another type of traditional kimchi.  I started making this kimchi for my children as this recipe does not use pepper powder. This kimchi is perfect for my children, and watching my son and daughter eating and enjoying my kimchi puts a smile on my face. However, don’t be fooled, this kimchi can be enjoyed by anyone, of all ages and spice tolerances.

I feel confidence and excitement in sharing our amazing family’s recipe to yours.

Learn About Our Logo

Jangdokdae is Korean traditional pottery used in fermentation. Our logo is designed using this traditional fermenting jar with the South Korean flag and the word “Kimchi” in Korean (김치).