Korean kimchi stew

Kimchi Jjigae
Meal Starter

김치찌개

We made our Kimchi Jjigae Meal Starter for the times you want a warm pot of jjigae without needing to start with a fridge full of ingredients. It begins with our own Dried Kimchi, plus Viking Farms oyster mushrooms and green onion. You add pork belly, tofu, and water.

Just add

Pork bellyTofuWater
Ready in about 20 minutesServes 1–2
Kahjok Kimchi House Kimchi Jjigae Meal Starter beside a traditional black stew bowl
Finished kimchi jjigae with tofu in a black bowl, served with steamed rice

Kimchi jjigae, made easier

Korean comfort food without starting from scratch.

Kimchi jjigae (김치찌개) is a savory, spicy Korean stew built around well-fermented kimchi. Our starter takes care of the kimchi and much of the pantry prep, while you add the fresh pork belly and tofu.

Brown the pork belly, add the starter and water, let it simmer, then add tofu near the end. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes from stovetop to bowl.

Close-up of dried kimchi, dried oyster mushrooms, and dried green onion in the Kimchi Jjigae Meal Starter

What's in the bag?

It starts with our kimchi.

Our Dried Kimchi

Our Dried Kimchi starts as the same fermented Mat Kimchi we make and sell fresh. It gives the starter the kimchi flavor and seasoning that form the base of the stew.

Viking Farms Oyster Mushrooms

We source the oyster mushrooms from Viking Farms, a local mushroom farmer. They are dried for the starter and add savory depth and texture as the stew cooks.

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Green Onion

Dried green onion rounds out the mix and goes straight into the stew with the rest of the starter.

Allergen: Contains fish (anchovy). See the package for the current full ingredient statement.

Just add three things

Pork belly, tofu, and water.

Pork Belly

6–8 oz, cut into bite-size pieces

Tofu

6 oz firm tofu, cubed or sliced

Water

3½ cups

Back of the Kimchi Jjigae Meal Starter package showing the printed cooking directions

How to make it

Make it in about 20 minutes.

The directions are printed on the back of every bag. Here's the whole process.

  1. Cook pork belly over medium heat until lightly browned and beginning to render its fat.
  2. Add 3½ cups water and the contents of one package. Discard the desiccant packet. Stir well.
  3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
  4. Gently add tofu and simmer 3–5 more minutes until heated through.
  5. Drizzle with sesame oil if desired. Serve with steamed rice.

Important: Do not eat the desiccant packet. Remove and discard it before cooking.

Why a meal starter?

We wanted a version of jjigae you could keep in the pantry.

Fresh kimchi jjigae starts with a few things that are not always sitting around in every kitchen. By drying our kimchi and pairing it with mushrooms and green onion, we can put the backbone of the stew in one shelf-stable bag. You add the fresh pork belly and tofu when you are ready to cook.

It is not instant soup, and that was intentional. You still brown the pork belly, simmer the stew, and add tofu at the end. We just make the starting point easier.

Kimchi Jjigae Meal Starter package with dried kimchi spilling onto a white surface

Questions?

Read the FAQs.

We cover storage, fermentation, spice level, and other questions we hear from customers.

View FAQs

Where to buy

Find the Meal Starter.

See the current retailers and market locations carrying Kahjok Kimchi House products.

Where to Buy