We finally made a sequel to our 2009 stop-motion video, “How Kimchi is Made” and this one is to the tune of the K-pop hit that everyone has just about had enough of (but that we couldn’t resist), GANGNAM STYLE. Enjoy!

Hey all, great news! Granny Choe’s Kimchi Co. has just officially won a Best of LA 2012 award from LA Weekly for BEST KIMCHI. Woohoo!

We celebrate our little company’s 4th birthday next month, and we are so honored that, well, that we’ve been noticed at all. Thank you to all our friends and fans who have been so generous with support and encouragement. We love this!

We wholeheartedly believe that white kimchi doesn’t get the love that it deserves. It may not be spicy, but it sure is stinky and delicious. Thank you to the fermentation fiends at Draft magazine for including Granny Choe’s baek / mild white kimchi in your Sept/Oct issue! In their words, “This spiceless version’s anything but tame: Ginger and garlic, a lactic tang and distinct bubbles make each bite zippy.”

Thank you to everyone who voted for us in the Mission: Small Business program by Chase Bank- we reached the required 250 votes on the very last day, with a few hours to spare, thanks to the help of some enthusiastic friends and kimchifans! Now that we’re in, we wait until September 15th to hear which small business have been chosen. Yes, it’s a long shot, since there are thousands of small business vying for just 12 grants, but our application is pretty strong, and we’re pleased that it will at least be considered.

Thank you again! We consider it a small victory just to have made it into the running (hence the photo of tiny trophies).

We only have two more days to get 160 more votes to be eligible for a small business grant from Chase bank. Our application is pretty strong, but they won’t even read it unless we show them the votes. Please take a minute to help us out! Here’s how:

1. Follow the link below, then click “Login & Support”

2. Login (you can use your Facebook account)

3. Search for Granny Choe’s Kimchi, and click “Vote”

www.missionsmallbusiness.com

Thanks in advance for your support

GC & Co.

We just heard about this program by Chase called Mission Small Business. They’ll be awarding 12 small businesses with $250k grants to grow their businesses- which we could really use towards creating a dedicated kimchi production kitchen. We need 250 votes to be eligible for consideration… and we only have 4 days to get them!

Please vote for Granny Choe’s Kimchi Co. by following this link and clicking on “Login and Support”. Thanks in advance for your help!

https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/

Food journalist (and former Gourmet magazine Editor in Chief), Ruth Reichl, says that in 2012, “Korean flavors will make a giant surge, and kimchi may push Sriracha off its perch.” She and The New York Daily News are in agreement. Believe it or not, we still have a lot of people ask us, “What’s kimchi?” Is the day coming when kimchi will become a household staple across America? We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

“Vanity Googling” can be mildly entertaining… you know, typing your own name into a search engine and seeing what comes up.  We hadn’t VG-ed ourselves in a while (although, we mostly do it for “important research purposes” and only a little because we’re bored/vain), so we gave it a shot and were pleasantly surprised to find our kimchi over at popular cooking blog, The Kitchn.

The article is a comparison of making vs. buying kimchi. And while you might think that we, as professional kimchimongers, would try to discourage the good people of America from making their own kimchi, we actually agree with the article- If you love kimchi, we think you should try making your own! It’s pretty messy and time-consuming, but it’s fun (especially if you recruit a kimchi-loving friend) and the chili-infused experience makes for interesting dinner party conversation. The trickiest ingredient to find (unless you have a Korean grocery store near you) is gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes). You can’t use red pepper flakes or cayenne… we tried this once just for kicks (Waste of time). But the article says you can buy gochugaru on Amazon. Not sure of the quality, but gotta love the internet for giving you options!

Also, we love the opening, “Kimchi is just about the hottest thing, both literally and figuratively, to hit American cuisine since Sriracha.” To read the full story: Make or Buy: Kimchi.

LA Weekly says Granny Choe’s Kimchi “is the best store-bought kimchi we’ve ever tasted.” Many thanks to them for the kind words and…. woohoo!

Read the full review here.

Craftcation: March 22-25 in Ventura, CA. It’s a cross between the words “craft” and “vacation” and it will be a bunch of brilliant, creative folks convening in one of our very favorite cities. In their words:

craftcation is a three day indie business & diy workshop conference. it’s a retreat to inspire, network and build upon the independent craft business community. our objective is to ignite the entrepenurerial business spirit, strengthen skills and abilities of both seasoned business owners and newcomers to indie craft business. this is an opportunity to network, communicate and share with your peers.

incorporating both business and fun craftcation features industry professionals leading attendees in diy and indie business workshops, panel discussions and q & a sessions.

Interested in starting the crafty food business of your dreams? Mama Choe will be there doing one-on-one consultations so bring your ideas and let’s talk. Hope to see you there!