The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) and the Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) proudly present Kimjang 2024: Making and Sharing Kimchi, a hands-on culinary event featuring Tae-Gu Kimchi, inviting the public to experience the flavors and community-building aspect of Korea’s most iconic food at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. on November 22 at 6:00 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.).

Just in time for Kimchi Day on November 22, the evening will include a kimchi-making demonstration, talk, and tasting with local chef Patrice Cunningham, who will discuss her Korean heritage and the importance of foods like kimchi in her own identity while establishing her business, Tae-Gu Kimchi. Participants can sample a range of fermented flavors from Tae-Gu Kimchi and try their hand at mixing their own kimchi to take home in a free communal workshop—a time-honored community-building tradition known as Kimjang.

The KCCDC, MOAPIA, and Tae-Gu Kimchi hope to activate the neighborly, service-minded spirit of this rich cultural tradition to bring together the vibrant, diverse communities of the Capital region. Through making and sharing kimchi, we hope to foster genuine cultural appreciation, strengthen community bonds, and unite the DMV region in a spirit of gratitude.

A centuries-old tradition, Kimjang often happens once or twice a year in Korea as a way for communities to stock up on essential foods, especially before winter. Although a labor-intensive process rooted in the tight-knit rural communities of the past, the culinary and social bonding benefits of kimjang remain a treasured aspect of Korean culture.

This second annual Kimjang partnership between the KCCDC and MOAPIA featuring Tae-Gu Kimchi marks 11 years since the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed Kimjang on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. Washington, D.C., Maryland, Viriginia, and several other states also already recognize Kimchi Day on November 22, and the U.S. House of Representatives is processing similar resolutions at the national level, mirroring national celebrations in the Republic of Korea on the same day.

Kimjang 2024: Making and Sharing Kimchi is free and open to the public, but due to limited space and supplies, advance registration is required.

Kimjang 2024: Making and Sharing Kimchi

Friday, November 22 at 6:00 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20001)

Free with an RSVP! Space and supplies may be limited.

RSVP COMING SOON! 

Please save the date of Nov. 22 at 6:00 PM and look for RSVP details to be added here 1-2 weeks before the event!