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Vegetables from South Jeolla tidal flats

Gamtaeji (Jeolla green-laver kimchi)감태지

Gamtaeji is a winter kimchi of gamtae, a fine green alga (gasi-parae) gathered by hand from the mudflats, washed free of mud, salted the same night and mixed with pre-salted green chillies. It is eaten after a day or two.

A short entry: the sources we found record only what is said here about Gamtaeji itself.

Short entryVegetables24 h – 2 days

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedVillage practice with no fixed amounts.
Fresh gamtaeOnly that day's fresh shoots, gathered by hand on the winter mudflat[kowiki-gamtaeji][nfm-gamtae]
Salt[kowiki-gamtaeji]
Green chillies, salted ahead[kowiki-gamtaeji]
Starterspontaneous

Total time across the recorded steps: 24 h – 2 days

Start
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What changes: Starting material: fine green laver picked by hand on the winter mudflat

Step 1 of 4
Gather gamtae by hand on the winter mudflat
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Gamtae grows on the mudflats from December to March. Villagers say they "weed" it (maenda), picking only the soft young shoots. Output: fresh gamtae.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Gamtaeji is a winter kimchi of gamtae, a fine green alga (gasi-parae) gathered by hand from the mudflats, washed free of mud, salted the same night and mixed with pre-salted green chillies. It is eaten after a day or two. Made in 4 steps over 24 h – 2 days. The longest step, mix with salted green chillies and ripen briefly, takes 24 h – 2 days (Korean Wikipedia 2026). Lactic acid bacteria as in other kimchi; no source names the species for this kimchi does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step24 h – 2 daysReported[kowiki-gamtaeji]Mix with salted green chillies and ripen briefly

What makes this one different

Gamtaeji is made from a seaweed, not a land vegetable. It is made only in winter from the day's fresh shoots, because gamtae spoils fast.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Dried old gamtae namulAfter March, old gamtae is dried and dressed with jang as a side dish (not fermented).

Safety

Gamtae spoils fast, so only the day's fresh shoots are used and they are salted that night.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Production is now so small it does not appear in official statistics, as fishing villages age and mudflats are lost. Wando gamtaeji joined the Slow Food Ark of Taste in 2015.

  1. [nfm-gamtae] National Folk Museum of Korea, Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture, Korean Livelihood and Technology (한국생업기술사전), 감태채취; KOGL type 2, facts only; read 2026-10book
  2. [kowiki-gamtaeji] Korean Wikipedia, 감태지, read 2026-10wiki
  3. [s2] Slow Food Foundation, Ark of Taste, Gamtaejiother