Select a fresh napa cabbage weighing about 6 pounds (approximately 3.17 kg). Look for cabbages with plenty of green, smooth, and shiny leaves.

Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise, making a small slit at the base to help split it further if needed.

Soak the cabbage halves in cold water to moisten the leaves, which helps the salt to be absorbed more easily.

Sprinkle half a cup of coarse salt between the leaves of the cabbage, focusing more on the thicker stem areas. Turn the cabbage every 30 minutes to ensure even salting. Let it sit for about 2 hours total.

After 2 hours of salting, rinse the cabbage thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt. Drain well.

In a pot, combine 2 cups of plain water with 2 tablespoons of sweet rice flour (Mochiko) to make a porridge. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until it starts to boil (takes about 9 minutes).

Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the boiling porridge. Stir well until it becomes glossy, then remove from heat and let it cool.

Peel, wash, and cut Korean radish into thin strips. You'll need about 2 cups of radish strips for the kimchi paste.

Chop fresh green onions and Asian chives (buchu). Optionally, add minari (water dropwort) if available. Use about 1-2 cups total of these greens.

Prepare a puree of garlic (half a cup), ginger (2 teaspoons), and onion (1 cup) by finely chopping or blending them together.

In a large bowl, mix the cooled porridge with the chopped vegetables, garlic, ginger, and onion puree. Add half a cup of fish sauce and a quarter cup of fermented salted shrimp (Saeujeot), including some of the juice.

Add hot pepper flakes to the mixture. Use 1 cup for a mild version or up to 2.5 cups for a spicier version (2 cups recommended for a spicy kimchi). Mix well to form a paste.

Take the drained cabbage and spread the kimchi paste between each leaf, ensuring even coverage. Remove the tough core if desired.

Place the prepared kimchi into a container, such as a Korean earthenware pot (Onggi) or a BPA-free plastic container. Press down to remove air pockets.

Let the kimchi sit at room temperature for 1-2 days to start fermentation. Check for a sour smell and bubbles on the surface as signs of fermentation.

Once fermentation begins (after about 36 hours), store the kimchi in the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation process. Press it down to keep it submerged in its juice.

Tear off some kimchi leaves, mix with sesame seeds, and serve immediately as a fresh side dish called Geotjeori with hot steamed rice.