Editor’s note: Made in Cascadia highlights makers and artisans in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
ANACORTES — In a kitchen off Commercial Avenue, Su Jin Jo coats cucumbers and carrots in vibrant red pepper sauce, fingers seemingly aflame. The Anacortes local is preparing one of her signature kimchis, the salty, tangy condiment integral to Korean culture.
Kimchi is a classic banchan (side dish) made from salted and fermented vegetables. Its production (a process known as kimjang) “reaffirms Korean identity and is an excellent opportunity for strengthening family cooperation” according to UNESCO, which considers kimjang an Intangible Cultural Heritage. In Washington state, a representative even authored legislation to designate Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day.
Su Jin has made kimchi as a hobby since her childhood in South Korea — but these days, she preps it in much larger batches. Her kimchi can be found everywhere from farmers markets to food co-ops, though Korean food’s popularity is a relatively recent development in Skagit County. In the ’90s, the Jo family opened Tokyo Japanese Restaurant, one of the Anacortes’ first Asian restaurants.
“Anacortes has developed a lot since when I was a kid, and it’s got a lot more Asian fusion or Asian cuisines,” said Brian Jo, Su Jin’s son. “I’d like to believe that we helped push that narrative as well.”
In 2015, the duo began selling Sujin’s Kimchi to the community. Su Jin remains the brand’s creative force, whereas Brian, who speaks English as a first language, is responsible for marketing and outreach.
Together, their goal is to raise awareness about kimchi — especially in a community where just 1.7% of members are Asian — and its myriad health benefits.
Probiotics in fermented foods promote gut health, boost immunity and may even ease symptoms of gastrointestinal-related diseases. Kimchi is a diverse category of food, and Su Jin’s lineup encompasses time-honored recipes as well as experimental creations.
“We’re watching these people who were afraid or scared of kimchi suddenly become kimchi fanatics,” Brian said, “where they’re coming and they’re buying bigger jars or more quantities and raving about how they feel better.”
How to make kimchi
Kimchi is the national dish of South Korea, and its production dates back thousands of years. First developed as a way to preserve produce through the winter, the dish is traditionally made by filling massive onggi (clay pots) with salted vegetables and burying them in soil.
Classic baechu kimchi (made with napa cabbage and gochugaru) is famous for its fiery, sour taste. But there are hundreds of kimchi varieties in existence, and Su Jin can ferment whatever vegetable farmers give her. Her 60-plus recipes rotate with the season and run the gamut from flavorful and spicy to mild and sweet.
Sujin’s baechu kimchi, “ponytail” kimchi (made with whole baby daikon radishes) and white kimchi (made without gochugaru) are more traditional styles. Some varieties, including dandelion, kale or turnip kimchi, are nods to Pacific Northwest produce. Others — including Brian’s personal favorite, jalapeno kimchi — are original creations.
No matter which kimchi she makes in a given week, Su Jin’s process always begins on Wednesday mornings, when farmers deliver their harvest. She puts the ingredients in cold storage until she’s ready to brine them in San Juan Island Sea Salt.
Simultaneously, Su Jin preps additional ingredients. Produce like daikon radish and carrots are cut into bite-sized pieces; other additions, including aromatics like garlic and ginger, are blitzed into a paste. Rather than using sugar to accelerate fermentation, Su Jin blends up fruits like apples and pears.
Finally, Su Jin leaves the kimchi to ferment for several days in the refrigerator. Its high salt ratio draws out sugars and prevents the growth of harmful microbes. Meanwhile, naturally-occurring “good” bacteria consume the vegetables’ sugars and starches, converting them to lactic acid.
This process, called lacto-fermentation, is responsible for kimchi’s acidity and umami-forward flavor. Carbon dioxide is also created as a byproduct, giving the final product its signature “zing.”
From South Korea to Skagit County
Like many Korean women of her generation, Su Jin’s family taught her how to cook and ferment from a young age. She carried that skill into adulthood with pride. Growing up, Brian remembers watching his mother and grandmother roasting seaweed sheets over fire, or prepping a year’s worth of doenjang (fermented soybean paste) in ceramic pots.
“Mothers and daughters would come together to make huge batches — not for the week or the month, like three months worth of food,” he explained.
The Jos immigrated to Federal Way in 1987, then moved to Skagit County several years later. Su Jin and her husband chose Anacortes for its lack of Asian cuisine — but rather than serving Korean food, they founded a Japanese eatery, Tokyo Japanese Restaurant (which is now closed).
“Back in the day, [people in Anacortes] didn’t know what Korean food was. They barely knew what sushi was,” Brian said. “People now go, ‘Why didn’t you open up a Korean restaurant?’ We’re like, ‘You guys thought we had rotten cabbages back then!’”
Still, Su Jin gained a reputation for her culinary skills and generosity. She slowly began adding Korean dishes (including kimchi) to the menu and telling customers about the benefits of fermented food. Some regulars even began requesting Su Jin’s “medicinal cooking”: dishes that weren’t on the menu, but were tailored to customers’ specific ailments.
In 2015, Su Jin launched her own kimchi business, Sujin’s Kimchi (now located next door to the old Tokyo Japanese Restaurant), in response to the diet-related health issues she observed in the community. At that time, Brian was collaborating with friends to establish Anacortes’ food co-op. He saw kimchi production as a way to further reduce food waste, and potentially incentivize local farmers to grow napa cabbage.
When it came time to sell Sujin’s Kimchi, Brian’s first port of call was the Anacortes Farmers Market. He still remembers the market manager’s reaction upon trying it.
“She took one bite, and I could hear the crunch,” he said. “Her eyes popped. She looked to the left, she looked to the right. She said: ‘We don’t have space, but we’ll make one for you.’”
Food as medicine
Sujin Kimchi’s ambitious slogan — “fight and curb all diet-related diseases in this area” — is a nod to kimchi’s health benefits. Brian had observed these benefits firsthand in his family, though articulating the science to customers required additional research.
Brian learned about the many benefits of probiotics — specifically lactobacillus, which is naturally present in the environment, on plants and even within the human gut.
“As I was studying this, I got to also meet with college professors, calling the State Department to see what studies they have … and doing my own experiments as well,” Brian said. “Just trying to understand what causes [lactobacillus] to boom, what causes them to die, what temperatures do they like to thrive in.”
Lactobacillus has a mutualistic relationship with the human body, warding off pathogens while receiving nutrients from its host. Consuming probiotic-rich foods like kimchi, kombucha and yogurt can maintain or strengthen the “good” microflora in our guts, thus promoting healthy digestion.
Studies show fermented foods like kimchi may ease symptoms of gastrointestinal issues like irritable bowel syndrome. Kimchi consumption has also been linked to lower rates of obesity, reduced inflammation, gut microbiome diversity, and decreased insulin resistance.
That’s not to say kimchi is a cure-all: The Jos promote healthy eating as a form of prevention, used in tandem with medication when necessary. Still, Brian’s research confirmed what he already suspected about his mom’s cooking: “I’ve always believed real medicine is food, due to her,” he said.
Customers love Sujin’s Kimchi for more than just its health perks. Brian said every visitor to the Anacortes storefront wants something different.
“They go, ‘I’m looking for that classic Korean kimchi,’ or, ‘I have this problem. My doctor recommended me to come here and try this,’” he explained. “Or: ‘I’m having a barbecue. I’m trying to impress people!’”
There is, of course, another factor to Sujin Kimchi’s popularity: Su Jin herself. After 30 years in Anacortes, she’s a well-known community figure and has even begun offering cooking classes. Passion, not profit, remains at the forefront of Su Jin’s mind — and “her artistic side is what gives her the ability to make what she makes,” Brian said.
“She feels energized whenever she’s making [kimchi],” he continued. “There’s a lot of science — and, I feel like, spirit — that goes behind what she does.”
Sujin’s Kimchi is available at locations including the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, Anacortes Food Co-op and Orcas Food Co-op. It can also be purchased at Sujin’s storefront at 820 Commercial St., Anacortes (open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday). Info: sujins.com.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
