"I also enjoy kimchi, but only if there are no fish in it. I do not like anchovies, shrimp, oysters, etc. Can kimchi be made without the use of fish or seafood? What ingredients should be used in kimchi? What are some of the regional variations in kimchi recipes? Is beef ever used in kimchi? Can you make kimchi without cayenne pepper?"

• Kimchi/Gimchi is food preparation method. It involves lightly salting/wilting of vegetables initially, then adding other savory spices for hot or mild version of kimchi. Kimchi is most commonly made with cabbage or other vegetables, as long has the vegetable has enough fiber not to disintegrate after the initial wilting with salt. It is not quite pickling in a traditional sense, as it does not utilize vinegar.Rather, it utilizes controlled natural fermentation process. This method developed initially in the lack of modern refrigeration to prevent/reduce loss of vitamins, extend storage time & develop delectable unique flavors. This method has provided the Korean people with much needed vitamin C during harsh winters. The origin traces back many centuries. Kimchi is enjoyed at various stages of maturity, depending on personal preference or as the recipe requires. It can be eaten immediately after preparation as in (gut-jeol-yee) or, matured up to 2 years (mook-eun-ji). This storage has occur in an optimally controlled temperature. Out of this necessity, the creative minds of the Korean ancestors came up with the method of storing kimchi in large lidded clay jars buried in the ground. The earth maintains more predictable constant cool temperature during the winter months. A tatched, tepee-shaped hut used to be specially built each year to cover over the kimchi burials. This hut provided hygienic area, away from drifting snow, dust, dirt & inquisitive animals.kimchi can be prepared using almost any vegetables. It can easily be made vegetarian. Many original recipes were purely vegetarian. Kimchis are generally made with hot spices like cayenne pepper. However, there are also as many non-spicy recipes for different occasions, seasons, & medical needs. Some of the other seasonings include salt, garlic, ginger, green onion, carrots, chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, pine nuts, etc. The principal method requires three basic elements; the kimchi's namesake vegetable; seasonings, carbohydrate elements, & protein elements. Carbohydrate element can take the form of a pinch of sugar, cooked paste using one of the following substances; rice flour, wheat flour paste, or various starches such as potato or corn. This carbohydrate element contributes to the flavor and also greatly in controlling the natural fermentation process. The protein element is where some unexpected ingredients can enter. This element can be omitted if necessary. However, when added, the element can provide a worthy richness to the complex complete flavors of kimchi. It also provide a source for much needed amino acids. Protein elements can range anywhere from various seafood essences, to oyster, shrimp, squid, octopus, even raw meat (freshly, & properly processed of course). Small amount goes a long way. Protein is only a small part of kimchi. 

•  Kimch tsigae in general requires pleasantly fermented kimchi rather than fresh kimchi. It offers an acidic edge coming from the fermentation process. This refreshing acidic bite is rounded by the richness from pork  in the stew as it boils away in a clay pot or a dolsot. Kimchi tsigae is usually served piping hot so that it continues to bubble as it is served on the table, providing audio, visual, gustatory pleasure.
• Kimchi certainly can be made without strong seasoning such as cayenne, garlic, ginger. These mild delicate versions are often found in Buddhist temples. They are also made for people who enjoy mild flavors (sometimes for young children who have not exposed to hot spices, the elderly, patients with diet orders that require mild food for gastric conditions such as ulcers, crohn's, for instance)