Every ethnically Korean household is bound to have kimchi, a Korean fermented pickled vegetable dish that has been a solid staple of Korean food for over 1,500 years. While it can be store bought, more often than not, homemade kimchi is always preferred. It is a strenuous and time consuming process, with each batch taking more than eight hours to complete. Because of this, many family members will gather together to create one large batch to share, as is the traditional way. However Bong Ja Lee, the director Samuel’s or Kiehoon’s (his Korean name) Kun-Umma (familiar title for the wife of one’s uncle, specifically the older brother of their father), demonstrates this process all by herself.

Kun-Umma goes through the her recipe of making kimchi step by step, from what ingredients to buy, what tools one needs, and each process as carefully as she can with her Konglish (a mix of spoken Korean and English). With her verbal directions come visual aids of her actually going shopping for ingredients and her preparing the kimchi at her home kitchen. Kun-Umma is engaging with her background stories, current events in her life, and her teasing yet heartfelt jabs at her nephew’s life as an unmarried bachelor. All in all, it felt very much like watching a short Food Network show episode.

Thanks to its cutting, editing, and add-ins of animation of select dialogue and an on the streets interview, Director Kiehoon gave his documentary a very professional feel to it. And while his work does have a feel of professionalism, the director was also gave the documentary a feeling of homey-ness. Cuts of Kun-umma at her job at the Korean Cultural center teaching Korean language and culture to next generation Korean-Canadians, cuts of their family interactions, and Kun-umma bringing the cameraman/director into the work with conversations. It gave the documentary a family home video vibe to it. Providing the duo “feel” to the documentary as both professional and homey helped defined the work as an educational, inspirational, and intimate. The documentary proves to be an accurate and personal lens into the Korean tradition of kimchi making as well as the dynamics of a multi-generation Korean Canadian family.

While the star of the documentary is supposed to be kimchi, it also clearly shares the spotlight with its maker, Kun-umma. Though it is her first time on camera, she is unfazed, natural, and completely herself in front of the lens. She brings life and vivacity to compensate for the kimchi’s lack of personality (though that can not be helped much since kimchi tends to be pretty inanimate in any case). Directer Kiehoon’s aunt is sensible and excitable, lively and engaging, funny and wise. And while Kun-umma jokes of her old age, she is still vibrantly youthful and so full of life. Every second watching her becomes more and more excruciating as I ended up wishing I was actually in the kitchen and conversing with Kun-umma. Thankfully, her personality shines across the screen well enough to satisfy the viewer.

I for one connected with this piece greatly, as I am Korean American and have watched the process of kimchi making my whole memorable life. It is unsurprising how Kiehoon’s family assimilated into Western culture. I have seen it myself in other Asian-American families as well as my own. I have seen first hand how older generations hold fast to their native cultures, and how the younger generations are quick to grasp the new Western culture. Kun-umma noted the importance of her work at the cultural center and as a Korean after-school organizer. Despite being in another country, she said it was essential to know where one came from. She valued her work because she helped keep alive the Korean culture in her community, and remind and educate those who felt out of touch with their roots. Making kimchi at home, and now making kimchi for the world to see, was just a part of that.

Watching How to Make Kimchi: According to my Kun-Umma was not watching some Korean lady speak about her life while making some strange red pickle; it was an experience. It was like sitting down at the kitchen table and listening to a close family friend sharing her personal recipe and along with it a part of her life. It was a vibrant and delicious slice of life of a Korean-Canadian woman. While I myself was familiar with kimchi and Korean culture,  viewers who are not as familiar feel welcomed by Kun-umma and invited to share her Korean culture. You really can not regret investing 19 minutes for this film.