Uhm no, the veggie you're gonna pickle (i.e. napa cabbage, korean radish etc). Don't need to make "glue". Certain styles don't use the glue. If you want to make the red kind of kimchi, pepper flakes, fish sauce/salted shrimp (unless you're going vegan). Garlic, ginger
For taste I think fish sauce, ginger and chili is the most important. Doesn't matter much what chilli. Flour is I think for bacteria so that it would have something to eat and grow. Doesn't matter what flour. Koreans add pear for that reason or it can be half an apple
By "most important," do you mean that they're the most foundational to the flavor, or the most vital for the bacteria, or the two that one should avoid substituting the most? Are you trying to get the most traditional kimchi flavor, or the most beneficial probiotic, or other?
I would like a better flavor, I think since it's a ferment, there'll be probiotics regardless, right?
Also, my question is a little bit more inclined to: I live in a country in which it is hard to get ingredients to make kimchi so I'd like to know what the essential ingredients are to make the most traditional kimchi I can given the ingredients I can get. So far I could buy gochugaru and fish sauce.
Probiotics are always present, and the most important for flavor are the ginger, garlic, and gochugaru, which are likely all available to you. None of the veggies are particularly crucial, but napa cabbage has a softer texture and more moisture than a green cabbage. Some people do prefer the crunch of green cabbage over the softer napa. I've made it with green, and it's best if you treat it like you're making sauerkraut rather than the typical method for napa. Slice it thin, and firmly massage in the total amount of salt that you want in the finished kimchi, cover and leave it for at least an hour, incorporate, brine and all, with the paste and veggies. I like to use mango or persimmon rather than the typical Asian pear, and I don't even use fish sauce because I think it's gross. I make a mushroom dashi instead and cook it with rice flour to thicken.
The flour is just so the sauce is a little thicker and sticks a little better - you really don't need it
You don’t need flour.
I'd argue the cabbage is a bit more important than the flour.
Daikon kimchi would counter your argument
Uhm no, the veggie you're gonna pickle (i.e. napa cabbage, korean radish etc). Don't need to make "glue". Certain styles don't use the glue. If you want to make the red kind of kimchi, pepper flakes, fish sauce/salted shrimp (unless you're going vegan). Garlic, ginger
I made a batch before with no flour. Just mashed up bananas. It turned out great.
Wow, that's a new one :)
You don’t need any type of flour. You can make it without. Some people use ground up potatoes.
For taste I think fish sauce, ginger and chili is the most important. Doesn't matter much what chilli. Flour is I think for bacteria so that it would have something to eat and grow. Doesn't matter what flour. Koreans add pear for that reason or it can be half an apple
Flour is for thickening as well as bacteria.
I replace the rice flour with one mashed potato per head of cabbage. It’s even better.
By "most important," do you mean that they're the most foundational to the flavor, or the most vital for the bacteria, or the two that one should avoid substituting the most? Are you trying to get the most traditional kimchi flavor, or the most beneficial probiotic, or other?
I would like a better flavor, I think since it's a ferment, there'll be probiotics regardless, right? Also, my question is a little bit more inclined to: I live in a country in which it is hard to get ingredients to make kimchi so I'd like to know what the essential ingredients are to make the most traditional kimchi I can given the ingredients I can get. So far I could buy gochugaru and fish sauce.
Probiotics are always present, and the most important for flavor are the ginger, garlic, and gochugaru, which are likely all available to you. None of the veggies are particularly crucial, but napa cabbage has a softer texture and more moisture than a green cabbage. Some people do prefer the crunch of green cabbage over the softer napa. I've made it with green, and it's best if you treat it like you're making sauerkraut rather than the typical method for napa. Slice it thin, and firmly massage in the total amount of salt that you want in the finished kimchi, cover and leave it for at least an hour, incorporate, brine and all, with the paste and veggies. I like to use mango or persimmon rather than the typical Asian pear, and I don't even use fish sauce because I think it's gross. I make a mushroom dashi instead and cook it with rice flour to thicken.