"Meeting a Korean Grandmother to Obtain the 'Real Thing'... Man in the US Even Engaged in 'Smuggling' to Get It"

Looking for Korean-style Kimchi, Not Localized Version
"Got Real Korean Kimchi for $13"

A story about a man in the United States who went on a quest to eat authentic Korean kimchi has become a hot topic.

On the 24th, an online community post titled "The Real Korean Kimchi Black Market Trending in the U.S." was uploaded.

The post introduced a video posted on social media by a man living in Florida, USA. The man said, "I just bought real Korean kimchi from a Korean bakery," while holding up a glass jar filled with kimchi.

He explained, "A coworker married to a Korean wife worked in Korea for about five years," and "He told me to bring money to a bakery run by Koreans and ask for kimchi."

He continued, "When I entered the bakery, there were four Korean ladies who couldn’t speak English. I showed them a message written on a translator that said, 'A Korean friend told me to come here to eat kimchi,' and the ladies laughed and said it was $13," adding, "I couldn’t understand their words, but the situation was funny."

The man said, "I got real Korean kimchi made by a Korean grandmother for $13. I’m really looking forward to it," and added, "You should also check out Korean bakeries."

He also posted a video of himself sharing kimchi with coworkers at the office. He ate the kimchi on rice topped with mango, dragon fruit, avocado, and nuts, saying, "It tastes much better than what you buy at stores."

As the video gained attention, a netizen presumed to be living in the U.S. commented, "I was told that a nearby bakery sells real kimchi made by Koreans, so I went and they really were selling it."

Kimchi sold overseas is mostly localized, with reduced spiciness and no use of animal-based ingredients like fish sauce. The netizen who posted the video on the online community explained, "I heard that people who want to eat authentic Korean-style kimchi sometimes do direct transactions like this."