Korea meets Mexico in Kimchi Quesadilla

Mexico has never been afraid to take something foreign and improve it. Ask the pig. Ask Shawarma. So why not Kimchi? Why not throw fermented cabbage, born in Korean winters, in a hot pan with melted cheese and a tortilla, the Mexican comfort cover? And while we are there, why not fall into a small anchovy to attach everything with this silent punch and save for delicious kimchi quesadillas?

Let’s take back. Fish has always been part of the history of Mexico cuisine. Long before the arrival of European missionaries and spices, The grilled and smoked coastal peoples of fish on open firesFolded him in Masa or dried it to travel. When the Spanish arrived, they brought olive oil, garlic and wheat – and suddenly, the fish was fried, cooked and served with sauces that felt with suspicion the dinner of a monk.

And that’s the thing: Mexican food has always been the fusion food. It was never static. Veracruz has built entire culinary traditions around Mediterranean flavors. Baja has taken beaten fish, a concept probably inspired by English and Asian techniques and transformed it into a taco of Baja fish, this glorious drums of crunch, cream, acid and spices. Mexico takes the flavors of the world and teaches them to make new friends.

So what happens when the spicy, spicy and shameless Kimchi meets the warm and sticky embrace of a quesadilla? Magic. Fermentation has long been part of the culinary DNA of Mexico: Pulque, Tepache, even the notes of tangy sourdough in the old Masa corn. Kimchi does not compete: he thrives with Mexican ingredients. It brings a clarity that crosses the richness of cheese, just like the marinated jalapeños that has been doing for generations. But more daring. Stronger. Kimchi is the song Mariachi in the room.

Then we add anchovies. Not to make things more complicated, but to link history together. Mexican cuisine has long used equivalents of fish sauce – dried shrimp, salty fish, this fifth flavor hiding in a taupe or a caldo that you cannot quite name but have endlessness. The anchovy disappears in the pan but leaves a salty echo. It is the signing of the ocean on the recipe.

A QUESADILLA KIMCHI with Anchovy is not a merger for fusion. It is a reminder that the borders are drawn on the cards, not on the plates. It is comforting food for a world that collides, changes and remixing constantly. It’s salty, spicy, cheesy, tangy – a bite that feels both old and new.

And if someone asks, “Is it authentic?” Just smile. Authenticity is a story that we are raking to feel safe. The delicacy, however, is real. It is hot, disorderly, dripping your fingers and making you reach another bite.

In the end, the culinary genius of Mexico has always been as follows: take what the world gives you, love it, change it, give it back best. Kimchi and cheese, meet tortilla and anchovy. Now sit down, eat and let me know what you think in the comments.

QUESADILLAS KIMCHI with Anchovy

Ingredients

• 2 large flour tortillas
• ½ cup of sharp, grated cheddar
• ½ cup of mozzarella, grated
• 1 cup of well fermented kimchi
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 fillets of anchovies, finely chopped (or paste of coffee anchovies)
• 1 teaspoon of grilled sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of GOCHUJANG (optional but recommended)
• 1 organization chart, finely decided
• Butter or neutral oil for frying
• Optional garnish: sesame seeds, additional green onions, lime corners

Instructions

1. Make the flavors base: Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add a touch of oil, chopped garlic and chopped anchovies. Stir until the anchovies dissolve in the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped kimchi, sesame oil and gochujang. Note 2 to 3 minutes until it feels so good that you plan to eat it directly from the pan. Turn off the heat and set aside.
2. Assemble: Place a tortilla. Sprinkle half of the cheese, spread the hot mixture of Kimchi-Anchovy evenly on top, then disperse the green onions. Add the rest of the cheese and garnish with the second tortilla.
3. Cook: Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add a little butter or oil. Slide the quesadilla and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and crisp and the cheese melts the sides.
4. Slice and serve: Transfer to a cutting board, slice in neighborhoods, sprinkle with sesame seeds, perhaps a pinch of lime and more green onions if you feel fanciful.

Stephen Randall Comes in Mexico since 2018 by Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He is an enthusiastic amateur chief who is inspired by many different kitchens, with favorites such as Mexican and the Mediterranean.