Third attempt in a year.
It’s the right texture, but I’m still missing something. It’s not as good as store bought, but good enough. And I’m working on improving that zest.
Kimchi sans fish sauce. Via https://www.liveeatlearn.com/how-to-make-kimchi/
My mom always made a rice porridge with a ground up Korean pear in it for the sugar in her starter. Makes the paste really thick and sticky so it coats really well. I think it also gives the kimchi a bit of a kick, but I think my family likes stronger fermentation than most people.