I veered far away from the traditional when I made this waterblommetjie kimchi. These flowers are only found in the Western Cape, and are harvested when conditions are ideal. This year we had so much rain this winter that the dams were still full of these pretty edible beauties well into October. I have made the most of the waterblommetjies by preserving them in a kimchi for summer.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Waterblommetjie Kimchi ♥
What are waterblommetjies?
Waterblommetjies are little flowers found in the dams and marshes of the Western Cape. The buds are picked in our midwinter months of July and August. Just in time to be used with lamb to make a waterblommetjiebredie. This little flower stew might have an Afrikaans name but the tradition of making it comes from the Khoikhoi. These are the people indigenous to South Africa, and they taught the early settlers how to use indigenous plants for food and medicine.
Let’s talk about kimchi
Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish. Vegetables such as cabbage, radishes and spring onions are salted and then left to ferment. They will be heavily seasoned with chillies, garlic and/or ginger. Kimchi will be found served with most meals, especially soups and stews. Keeping in mind that any vegetable can be used for fermenting, I made a waterblommetjie kimchi. This basically preserves the waterblommetjies to be enjoyed year round. Other variations to try would include using cucumbers, brinjals or tomatoes.
Veering from the traditional when making my waterblommetjie kimchi
Not wanting to use chilli flakes in my recipe, I decided to go with Sriracha instead. This Thai hot sauce is made from chillies, vinegar and pickled garlic. This would add the heat I feel is needed in a kimchi, as well as emphasising the vinegar and garlic aspects of the condiment. Staying in that region of the world, I also chose to use fish sauce. This is a fermented condiment which I felt would add some funk to my kimchi. It also added a stunning umami flavour which is ideal for any side dish.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Waterblommetjie Kimchi ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Waterblommetjie Kimchi
Ingredients
- 300 g waterblommetjies
- 45 mls apple cider vinegar
- 30 mls fish sauce
- 15 mls extra hot Sriracha
- 5 mls xylitol
- 2.5 cm fresh root ginger, peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Method
- Place the waterblommetjies into a colander and set aside to drain
- Pick the leaves apart and then squeeze out any excess water
- Place the vinegar, fish sauce, Sriracha, xylitol, ginger and garlic into a large glass bowl and whisk to combine
- Add the waterblommetjies and mix into the liquid
- Once the waterblommetjies have been coated in the mixture, spoon everything into a sterilized glass jar
- Seal and refrigerate for 5 days before opening
Notes
See the links below for blog posts I published on November 26:
- 2023: The Secret
- 2021: Chocolate Fudge Sauce
- 2018: Zabaglione
- 2017: The Choice
- 2015: Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse
- 2014: Chicken Cous Cous Salad
- 2012: Apple And Almond Bread
- 2011: Berry Bars
this sounds like a very fascinating version of kimchi Tandy!
I was so pleased with how it turned out 🙂
I wish you had a photo of the actual flower! Fascinating!
Mimi, I shall do that for you next time I have access to a dam. We still have rain so there is a possibility there will be more flowers this year 🙂
What a creative kimchi recipe! Had to google what waterblommetjie looks like…now I wonder how they taste…a fascinating recipe, Tandy.
I would send you some if I could 🙂
An interesting recipe, Tandy. I thought waterblommetjies were waterlilies.
They are a unique plant, not to be confused with common water lilies 🙂
Korean cooking was probably the last of the Asian ways of eating which became known in Australia but is now very popular. I have made traditional kimchi on quite a few occasions and loved it . . . quite frankly very good variations are available ready-made for sale also. Your recipe is fascinating to read and the photo so interesting to look at . . . but the main ingredient is kinda not available to copy 🙂 !!!
Sadly no, this is a very unique ingredient 🙂
What a cool spin on traditional kimchi! I haven’t heard of waterblommetjies, but they sound intriguing.
They are such a lovely, local ingredient 🙂