Baek-kimchi: White Cabbage Leaves in a Clear Pear Brine
There is no chili powder here. The flavor comes from pear, garlic, onion, ginger, crisp vegetables and fermentation, so keep the salt as measured and the cabbage under the brine.
Pale cabbage leaves lie folded around matchsticks of radish and carrot, threads of red bell pepper, and strips of jujube and chestnut, all under a clear brine scented with pear. This is baek-kimchi (백김치), Korean white kimchi. As Maangchi explains, the name "white" comes from leaving out gochugaru, the Korean chili powder. Once fermented, it is eaten cold.
Being mild does not mean being thin in flavor. The brine draws on pear, garlic, onion and ginger, and the filling adds sweetness and bite to every leaf. The red bell pepper and the optional silgochu threads are why "white" should be read as "without the red chili-powder seasoning", not "completely colorless". You can see more dishes from the same table on our Korea page.
The ingredient amounts and the method follow Maangchi's vegetarian recipe, using its own cups, spoons and pounds. The fermentation limits do not. They are tightened using guidance from University of Georgia Extension and University of Wisconsin Extension, because Maangchi's recipe gives no salt concentration, measured pH or safety validation.
This recipe has not been kitchen-tested. Maangchi's recipe is not a publicly tested recipe, and its salt level has not been publicly verified. The extension guidance gives no salt percentage to compare it against. So do not reduce the salt, do not convert it to weight, and treat a pH reading of 4.6 or below as the final gate before eating. Sourness and bubbles are not proof of safety.
Ingredients: Cabbage, Filling and Pear Brine
This recipe contains pine nuts, a tree nut. If you add any processed product, check its label.
Substitutions and Choosing Well
Some swaps change the character of the jar, so it helps to know what each one does.
| Item | What you can do | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Korean radish | Use daikon | Moisture and sharpness differ |
| Buchu | Use Japanese nira | It is not the same vegetable; aroma and leaf width differ |
| Korean pear | Use a Japanese pear, still measuring 2 cups | Aroma and moisture vary by variety |
| Silgochu | Leave it out | Only the garnish is lost, and the recipe stays free of chili powder |
| Fresh chestnuts | Avoid simply swapping in sweet roasted chestnuts | Moisture and processing are different |
| Jujubes | Keep them in the recipe | They are part of the sweet aroma and the filling |
| Kosher salt | Measure by volume and do not convert to weight | Brands differ in weight per volume, so a conversion can change the saltiness |
Napa cabbage, carrot, onion, garlic and ginger are everyday supermarket items. Buchu, silgochu, jujubes, Korean radish, fresh chestnuts and pine nuts may take a trip to a Korean or Asian grocer.
Equipment
- Large basin, wide enough to work salt between the leaves
- Knife and cutting board
- Colander
- Food processor or blender
- Cheesecloth or a fine cloth bag
- Spoon for pressing the bag
- Clean lidded glass container that lets the brine cover the cabbage
- pH test strips or a pH meter
When Something Looks Off
Most problems with this kimchi are safety decisions rather than flavor fixes, and the answer is often to wait or discard.
| What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|
| The cabbage sits above the brine | Use a container in which the brine covers all of the cabbage |
| The room is above 85°F (about 29°C) | Shorten the room-temperature stage and refrigerate sooner |
| About 48 hours have passed and it barely tastes sour | Refrigerate anyway, and do not extend the time at room temperature |
| It tastes sour or has bubbles, but you have not tested it | Do not eat it yet, because neither sign shows it is safe |
| The pH reading is above 4.6 | Do not eat it. Keep it refrigerated and test again |
| You have no way to measure pH | Do not eat it until you can confirm 4.6 or below |
| There is mold, an odor other than a fermented aroma, or an unusual texture | Discard it |
| The brine seems too salty for your taste | Do not reduce the salt in this recipe |
Variations That Keep the Recipe Intact
- Without silgochu: Leave out the threads. The kimchi is still made without chili powder.
- With daikon: Maangchi's recipe names daikon as an option in place of Korean radish. Expect differences in moisture and sharpness.
- With nira or Japanese pear: These are editorial suggestions, not part of Maangchi's recipe. Nira differs in aroma and width, and pears vary in aroma and moisture.
- Tasting over time: Once a batch has reached 4.6 or below, you can taste it on different days to see how the flavor changes. This is for enjoyment and is not a safety check.
Korean Cultural Center New York's recipe from chef Hooni Kim is a different approach, with a long 10-to-12-hour salting and fish sauce, salted seafood and sugar. Treat it as a separate recipe and do not mix its ingredients or salting time into this one.
White Kimchi on the Korean Table
Baek-kimchi is defined here by what it leaves out and what it steeps in. Everyday red baechu-kimchi gets its color from gochugaru, while this version relies on a pear and aromatic brine. Being mild does not make it the same thing as mul-kimchi (water kimchi) in general, dongchimi or kkakdugi. This one is built from whole-leaf napa cabbage, a vegetable filling and pear-flavored brine.
The Korea Tourism Organization's short introduction also presents white kimchi as a cabbage kimchi without chili powder, naming radish, pear, scallion and shredded red pepper among its ingredients. That introduction gives no amounts or method, so it offers a glimpse of the dish rather than a recipe.
Maangchi presents baek-kimchi as suited to special occasions, recalls waiting for it to ferment, and serves it cold as a side dish. Chef Hooni Kim, featured by Korean Cultural Center New York, suggests it alongside rich dishes. These are the views of two cooks and not a rule for every Korean home.
The same center describes kimjang as the annual making and storing of kimchi for winter. That is the wider setting for kimchi as a whole. It does not make this small batch a winter-only recipe, and a single large cabbage is a manageable amount for a home kitchen. The dish's exact origin and dates are not established by the sources used here, so they are left out, along with nutrition and health claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whatever the flavor or the number of days, the check before eating is the same: a pH of 4.6 or below, with no mold, off odor or unusual texture.
Is white kimchi spicy?
This version contains no chili powder, but that is not a promise of zero heat. Some recipes, including this one, can include silgochu threads as a garnish. Leave them out if you prefer.
Why is the room-temperature time shorter than in Maangchi's recipe?
Maangchi gives 1½ to 3 days depending on room temperature, using a sour taste in the liquid as a sign that fermentation has started. That is a cook's observation and not a safety standard. University of Georgia Extension limits room temperature to about the first 48 hours, followed by refrigeration at 41°F or below. University of Wisconsin Extension says not to exceed 85°F. This article follows those limits.
Why do I need to test the pH?
University of Wisconsin Extension advises confirming a pH of 4.6 or below with test strips or a meter at the end of fermentation. University of Georgia Extension says kimchi reaches a pH below 4.6 after about two weeks. Since Maangchi's salt level is not publicly verified, the measurement is the final gate here. If you cannot confirm the reading, do not eat the kimchi.
Do I need fish sauce or salted shrimp?
No. This article keeps Maangchi's vegetarian version, which uses neither. Maangchi mentions salted shrimp (saeujeot) as an optional change, and Hooni Kim's version uses fish sauce and salted seafood. Adding them makes a different recipe that is no longer vegetarian.
How long does it keep?
Maangchi mentions about one month in the refrigerator. That is the author's guide and not a guaranteed safe storage period, and this article sets no shelf life of its own. Keep it refrigerated at 41°F (about 5°C) or below, and discard it if you see mold, smell anything other than a fermented aroma, or notice an unusual texture.
Sources
- Maangchi, "White Kimchi (Baek-kimchi)." The recipe's amounts and method, the meaning of the name, the optional salted shrimp change, the author's room-temperature and refrigerator guides, and serving cold. These are one cook's guides and not a public safety standard. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/baekkimchi/comment-page-3
- Korean Cultural Center New York, "Kimjang, Making and Sharing Kimchi - EP.03." Kimjang as preparing and storing kimchi for winter, white kimchi without gochugaru, and Hooni Kim's separate recipe and serving suggestion. https://www.koreanculture.org/cuisine-tourism/2023/02/23/kimjang-making-and-sharing-kimchi-3
- Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA), "White Kimchi (백김치 / Baekkimchi)." A short introduction identifying white kimchi as a cabbage kimchi without chili powder, with examples of ingredients. https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=179874
- University of Georgia Extension, "Homemade Kimchi: A Science-Based Guide to Safe Fermentation." Room temperature for about the first 48 hours with a loose cover, refrigeration at 41°F or below, pH below 4.6 after about two weeks, when to discard, and following a recipe's specified salt level. It gives no salt percentage. https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C1362/homemade-kimchi-a-science-based-guide-to-safe-fermentation/
- University of Wisconsin Extension, Winnebago County, "Preserve It Fresh, Preserve It Safe (September/October 2023)." Not exceeding 85°F during fermentation, using tested recipes and the specified salt, measuring for a pH of 4.6 or below with strips or a meter, and refrigerating after fermentation. https://winnebago.extension.wisc.edu/2023/09/01/preserve-it-fresh-preserve-it-safe-a-newsletter-for-those-who-preserve-food-at-home-september-october-2023
