Seeking an immediate substitute, the government temporarily suspended tariffs on Chinese-imported cabbage and other produce this week, part of a plan to rush an additional 100 tons of the staple into supermarkets and stores. The Seoul city government, meanwhile, is providing the busiest markets with 300,000 heads of napa cabbage at just 70 percent of the market price — enough to feed 10,000 households.
Kimchi, made of cabbage fermented in white radish, garlic and chili paste seasoning, is low in calories and rich in vitamins. It is so ubiquitous in South Korea that it is provided as a free side dish in all local restaurants from steakhouses and Chinese restaurants to pizzerias.
At the Well Being Market in Seoul, a package of three small heads of cabbage was going for about $20. That was far too high for one elderly woman, who took a good look at the quality and then walked away.
But market attendant Kim Soo-ok says other people are buying it — and fast — because they can't live without kimchi.
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