Gimchi
/ˈɡɪm.tʃi/noun
A romanized spelling of the Korean word for traditionally fermented vegetables, especially napa cabbage seasoned with chili and other ingredients.
Did you know?Chili peppers were introduced to Korea only after the Columbian Exchange, so the earliest forms of kimchi were not the bright-red version familiar today.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Middle Korean
딤채 (timchye/dimchye)
“An early recorded form referring to preserved or fermented vegetables.”
17th–18th Centuries
Korean
김치 (kimchi)
“The modern Korean form gradually replaced earlier pronunciations and spellings.”
20th Century
English
kimchi
“The established English loanword for Korean fermented vegetables.”
2000
Revised Romanization
gimchi
“The official Revised Romanization spelling of Korean 김치, although kimchi remains far more common in English.”