Kimchi Quesadillas

Author & Photographer: Isabella Sun

Fusion dishes have been a popular style of cuisine in the culinary world lately. Combining a dish from one part of the world with ingredients from another region not only adds excitement to native dishes and culinary traditions from all cultures, but also allows us to explore hybrid innovations that enhance and combine the flavors of the established dishes.

Kimchi, among many other dishes, has been all the rage in the world of culinary fusion. For those who are unfamiliar with it, kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish mainly made of fermented cabbage and other vegetables. This zesty and savory dish is both delicious and healthy, containing ample probiotics that improve intestinal health. With its unique taste and health benefits, it’s no wonder that kimchi has been a widely used ingredient in fusion dishes.

This time, we are adding our star ingredient kimchi to a traditional Mexican dish-- the quesadilla. The blending of Eastern and Western cuisine may seem strange at first, but this flavor combo works surprisingly well. People have long been adding cheese to traditional Korean dishes. For example, placing a slice of cheese on top of tteokbokki is a common practice to augment its savory profile and offset its spice. For our dish today, the zesty kimchi will serve to complement the cheesy heaviness of the traditional quesadilla. The sour and robust taste of the kimchi not only brightens the flavor of the rich cheese, but also adds a fiery, funky kick to the dish. In the end, kimchi elevates and balances the umami flavor of the quesadilla, making the dish more aromatic and delicious.

This kimchi quesadilla can be made as a snack, or as a late night meal if you’re having cravings for something spicy and cheesy before bed. Plus, it is delicious and incredibly easy to make!

Kimchi Quesadilla Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Tortilla
½ cup kimchi
¼ cup Shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
2 slices of ham of any protein of your choice (Optional)

Instructions:

Drain the ham. Chop the ham and cheese into small pieces.
Toast the kimchi and ham in a pan for around 5 minutes.
After it’s finished cooking, remove it and set aside for later.
Grease a pan with butter or non-stick spray, and heat the tortilla over medium heat until bubbles begin to form on the surface.
Turn the heat down to low. Place the kimchi mixture on top of the toasted tortilla, and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fold the tortilla in half, pressing the tortilla to the pan with a spatula until the bottom turns golden brown.
Flip the quesadilla to the other side until both sides are golden brown.
When the cheese is melted, remove from heat and place the quesadilla onto a plate.
Cut into small pieces to serve.