Will kimchi get its own day in Washington?

Kimchi from My Korean Kitchen

By Jerry Cornfield

Washington State Standard

A Korean-American state lawmaker is plating up a “delicious” kimchi bill she hopes will satisfy the legislative palates of her colleagues.

Democratic state Rep. Cindy Ryu of Shoreline authored legislation to designate Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day in Washington to coincide with the annual celebration of National Kimchi Day in South Korea.

Ryu’s bill cleared the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee on Friday.

“Kimchi is one of the most honorable and savory foods we can eat,” said Rep. Chris Stearns, D-Auburn, ahead of the 6-0 vote that sent House Bill 1017 to the House Rules Committee.

Ryu sponsored the same bill a year ago but it lapsed in the Rules panel. Another year of fermentation could bring about a different result.

In the bill, Ryu references kimchi’s “long, rich history” dating back over 2,000 years and notes that its preparation process, called “Kimjang,” has been recognized by the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization as an “intangible cultural heritage.”

She also writes kimchi has much nutritional value, its ingredients providing an abundance of probiotics, vitamins, and minerals that “contribute to lower rates” of stroke, cancer, and diabetes

Rep, Cindy Ryu

Kimchi, a staple of Korean meals, consists primarily of salted and fermented vegetables such as napa cabbage, daikon radish, carrots, garlic, ginger, and Korean chili.

“When done right, it is delicious,” Ryu told the state government committee at a hearing earlier this week.

Before refrigeration, kimchi was the way to preserve vegetables in Korea’s cold winters, she said.

“I remember making gallons and gallons with my mom. We would bury the large jars in the yard to prevent freezing,” she said in the hearing.

Washington has 11 legal state holidays, such as New Year’s Day, Labor Day and Juneteenth. It has 20 days commemorating ideas, causes, events and people. These include Korean-American Day, Human Trafficking Awareness Day and Public Lands Day.

California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia have passed resolutions designating Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day in their states, according to a committee report. Ryu said if her bill is enacted, Washington would be the first state with a law to mark the occasion.