Kimchi Master Class

The Evolution of Taste: A Journey Through Kimchi, Memory, and Cultural Fusion

By Vegan Yes & Mia Mamma Foundation

The evolution of culinary culture is intimately intertwined with the development of societies. From the earliest communal meals around fire to elaborate ceremonies in royal courts, food has always been more than just sustenance—it is a language, a symbol, a shared identity. Each plate tells a story. Each aroma evokes a memory. Each bite is a bridge between past and present, between self and other.

Every individual carries within them a unique emotional and sensory legacy, deeply rooted in the nourishment received during childhood. The act of feeding is not merely biological—it is profoundly emotional. Think of the simple gesture of a mother spooning warm food into her child’s mouth. That moment—tender, nurturing, and instinctive—forms a bond that goes far beyond nutrition. It connects food to care, taste to love, and sustenance to identity.

The aromas and flavors of those first meals become a kind of private mythology. Whether it’s the sweet tang of tomato sauce on pasta, the crisp warmth of grilled rice, or the soft sourness of fermented cabbage—these tastes form the sensory alphabet of who we are. They live in us, influencing our choices, our pleasures, and even our beliefs about what food should be.

A New Kind of Kimchi

Our journey begins with kimchi—not just the iconic Korean dish, but a philosophy of fermentation, preservation, and transformation. Traditionally spicy, red, and boldly flavored, kimchi has traveled across borders and palates, adapting to new environments while retaining its soul.

At Vegan Yes & Mia Mamma Foundation in London, we asked a simple question: what if kimchi could be reimagined? Not only as a dish, but as a platform for storytelling, experimentation, and education? What if it could evolve—not by losing its identity, but by expanding it?

That’s how our four-colored kimchi project was born: green, yellow, violet, and red. Each color represents more than just a different recipe. It represents a different intention, a different cultural influence, and a different nutritional perspective.

• Green Kimchi: Made with mint and spirulina, this variation is fresh, herbaceous, and vibrant. It reconnects fermentation to chlorophyll, to cleansing, and to renewal. It is the flavor of spring.

• Yellow Kimchi: Created with daikon or white radicchio and turmeric, it is earthy, golden, and grounding. Turmeric speaks of ancient healing, of Ayurvedic tradition, of the sun.

• Violet Kimchi: With red cabbage and rosemary, this version is deep, complex, and aromatic. It evokes memory and meditation, with a fragrance that is both Mediterranean and ancestral.

• Red Kimchi: A vegan take on the classic, enriched with an Italian touch. Still bold, but reinterpreted with love, it carries all the umami and spice of tradition—without animal ingredients.

Each version is a love letter to flavor, health, and imagination.

Conscious Culinary Fusion

Culinary innovation is rarely a sudden revolution. More often, it is a slow and deliberate process that respects the cultural, emotional, and biological dimensions of eating. Our model, which we call conscious culinary fusion, is not about trend or novelty. It’s about awareness.

To fuse cuisines without domination or dilution requires deep respect—for ingredients, for origin stories, for the communities who gave birth to these foods. It also requires introspection: Why do we eat what we eat? What emotions do we attach to certain textures or temperatures? How can we transform something familiar into something new, without erasing its past?

For the last nine years, Vegan Yes & Mia Mamma Foundation has been a space where these questions are explored. Based in London, one of the most diverse cities in the world, our kitchen has become a laboratory of flavors and ideas. But more than that, it’s become a place of intercultural dialogue.

We believe that 100% plant-based cuisine is not just a dietary choice—it is an ethical, ecological, and spiritual one. It allows for inclusivity. It opens doors instead of closing them. And it challenges chefs and eaters alike to think differently, to eat consciously, and to embrace the unknown.

The Kimchi 360° Experience

With this philosophy in mind, we created Kimchi 360°, a multi-sensory, educational project that brings our four-color kimchi to life. It’s more than just a recipe collection. It’s an experience.

In our Kimchi 360° cooking classes, we invite participants to begin with tasting. Before any instruction, before any explanation, they taste the green kimchi—mint and spirulina, cooling and bright. This tasting is a kind of meditation: a way of connecting to one’s palate, to curiosity, and to the moment.

From there, we move into the how—a demonstration of preparation, fermentation, and technique. Participants learn not only what to do, but why. They discover the microbiology behind fermentation, the chemistry of balancing flavor, and the history behind the ingredients.

At the end of the session, each participant receives a copy of our original cookbook, Kimchi 360°, which includes detailed instructions, beautiful photography, and exclusive QR codes that link to video recipes and behind-the-scenes content. It is a souvenir, a manual, and a manifesto all in one.

And all of this is offered at a humble price of £20, to keep the experience accessible and inclusive.

Education Through Flavor

Education does not always come from books or lectures. Sometimes, it comes from taste. From putting something new in your mouth, closing your eyes, and letting it speak. Our mission is to extend this kind of education—to help people reconnect with food as a living culture, as an ecosystem, as an act of love.

We hope to bring this model beyond London. Whether it’s a school in Naples, a co-op in Seoul, or a cultural center in São Paulo, we want to share Kimchi 360° as an international protocol for edible learning.

At its core, this is not just about kimchi. It’s about remembering that food is more than a commodity. It’s a language. And like any language, it must evolve, be shared, and remain alive.

Final Thoughts: Why This Matters

In a time when food systems are collapsing, biodiversity is under threat, and fast food dominates the global market, we believe projects like this are urgently needed. Not as nostalgic retreats into the past, but as hopeful visions for the future.

When you choose to ferment cabbage with mint and spirulina, you are not just cooking. You are participating in a story of transformation, of healing, of beauty. You are saying: I want to eat in a way that is kind to the earth, to animals, to my own body—and to my memories.

This is what we mean by Kimchi 360°: a full-circle approach to taste, health, culture, and care.

We invite you to join us.