It is a tradition for all families in the country to make whole cabbage kimchi, an indispensable part of the Korean people's diet. The cabbage is first salted before being washed. Mixture of condiment made of pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and others and pickled fish is put to the cabbage which is left to ferment.

The ingredient of condiment varies from region to region. Croakers are mainly used in the west coastal area, Alaska pollack in the east coastal area and various kinds of pickled fish in North and South Phyongan provinces and North and South Hwanghae provinces.

There are also kaktugi(diced radish pickles), kimchi wrapped in large cabbage leaves, watery radish kimchi and other kinds of kimchi.

Kimchi is a unique national food of the DPRK which cannot be found in other parts of the world in terms of its nutritional composition and processing method.

The traditional method of making kimchi is still maintained.

Kimchi is famous as one of the five world health foodstuffs for its fresh taste, peculiar aroma, and nutritional and medicinal value.

In Juche 104 (2015), UNESCO registered the Korean custom of making kimchi as a world intangible cultural heritage.