Abstract
Kimchi has been one of the main menu on our dining table at all seasons as the best matching side dish with boiled rice. Kimchi was privately made in every household, and it has been commercially made for military feeding since Korean Civil War in 1950. Commercialized kimchi in can was also made for soldiers sent to Vietnam in late 1960s and for workers sent to Middle East in 1970s. As industry was growing, the number of people dining out increased, and with export to Japan in 1980s. Kimchi industry had greatly expanded until 1990s. However. the growth of industry has slowed down as individual consumption decreased and import from China radically increased. Since 2000, kimchi industry has been growing again focusing on quality improvement, which is possible due to up-to-date system and high standard sanitation control in manufacturing. Kimchi becomes the most important cultural product at the core of our food culture as all Korean people realize that it contains not just a wide variety of ingredients but unique flavors of each local areas and sincere heart of local people. Commercialization of kimchi will increase even though its consumption decreases as people's dietary life changes.