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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Kimchee has long played a central role in Korean |
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culture, and in recent decades, the beloved dish has gained |
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increasing popularity around the globe, and especially in Texas; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In ancient times, the people of the Korean peninsula |
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began fermenting vegetables to preserve them for consumption during |
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long, harsh winters; the healthy, flavorful, and pungent product of |
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this process, kimchee, became a staple of the Korean diet, served at |
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every meal and incorporated in myriad recipes, from soup to |
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pancakes; in the autumn, family members, friends, and neighbors |
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came together to help in the labor-intensive preparation, providing |
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an opportunity to socialize and build community; this ritual, |
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kimjang, has been acknowledged since 2013 on UNESCO's |
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Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of |
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Humanity; and |
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WHEREAS, Many ingredients can be used in kimchee, including |
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scallions, ginger, garlic, sugar, salt, fish sauce, and fermented |
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seafood; complex interactions among the elements during |
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fermentation result in unique combinations of spicy, sour, sweet, |
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carbonated, and umami flavors; although there are numerous kinds of |
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kimchee, including regional and seasonal varieties, the most |
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popular today is baechu kimchee, based on napa cabbage, salt, and |
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gochugaru, a Korean red pepper powder; and |
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WHEREAS, During the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, |
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kimchee was promoted as one of the official foods of the Olympic |
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Village, sparking an increase in exports; in recent years, Texas |
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has seen its Korean American population grow, leading to wider |
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availability of kimchee, whether commercially produced, artisanal, |
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or homemade; it appears not only in its traditional culinary |
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context, but also on everything from tacos to French fries; and |
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WHEREAS, A mainstay of Korea's rich cuisine for centuries, |
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kimchee is adding a distinctive zing to the vibrant diversity of the |
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food scene across the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby recognize November 22, |
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2023, as Kimchee Day and encourage all Texans to enjoy this savory |
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treat. |