Kimchi, in case you haven't yet made its acquaintance, is usually spicy-hot and has the kind of taste and odor that you either love or hate (though some folks who have the latter reaction eventually come round to the former). It's fermented like sauerkraut but doesn't taste anything like it.

In the old days, every family made their own kimchi every autumn, stuffing it into huge pots like the ones in the photo. The pots were buried to keep the temperature just right for fermentation. These days quite a few Koreans are too busy to make their own kimchi, so they buy it at the supermarket. The pots sit empty, a symbol of tradition disappearing.

Some Koreans, particularly ajomma (middle aged and older women) do still make their own kimch. For those so inclined, the latest hot gadget is the dedicated kimchi refrigerator. In 2002, these specialized appliances actually outsold ordinary refrigerators in Korea. A friend of ours has one. They parked it in the living room. That might be because they were short of room in the kitchen, or it might be that guests notice it better that way. ;-)