Once upon a time, ajumas dug deep holes in the ground to store fermented kimchi in earthenware vats through the cold winter months. But those days are long gone.

Nowadays, many families face the modern-day version of this classic Korean kitchen conundrum: how to keep the deliciously spicy, but putrid kimchi from permeating neighboring food in the refrigerator while still keeping it fresh and crisp?

For some, the answer lies in the kimchi refrigerator, a separate and completely customized fridge that keeps pickled cabbage isolated.

After two decades on the market, some 50 percent of households in Korea own one. Unlike traditional coolant-dependent refrigerators, kimchi fridges have forced-air circulation systems that cool the aluminum encasing the kimchi directly — keeping the kimchi at the optimum temperature to support the bacteria that makes it so tasty. While they probably won’t be at your local Best Buy anytime soon, they range between $1,000-$2,500 and can be found online and in some Korean markets. Because no one wants to live without the fiery banchan, just maybe that pungent odor.

 

-Nina Ahn