Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Vancouver]

Is it allowed?

[mikowee]

Why don't you just buy the kimchi in Canada? There's some good stuff there too.

[ttompatz]

[OiGirl]

[Xuanzang]

just make sure you have it in an airtight container and double ziplock bag it. the stench would undoubtedly attaract unwanted attention.

[Yo!Chingo]

Kimchi in Walmart?!? You're joking, right? It's right beside the sesame leaves and above the Tocino mix.

[spliff]

They sell it at the airport and give you a cooler bag to go w/ it but as I remember it wasn't very cheap.

[Vancouver]

aw. well, my aunt makes good kimchi so I just wanna bring it from korea, not buy packaged ones at the local supermart

[Unposter]

My wife and I were commissioned by mother-in-law to bring her homemade kimchi to my brother-in-law in the U.S about three years ago.

We brought it over in two plastic jugs in our respective carry-ons. When we arrived at our layover in Narita, we noticed there was some leakage out of one of the jugs. My wife did her best to clean it up in the airport bathroom.

Both of us declared the Kimchi on our declarations as a food product.

At Newark Airport Immigration, I went through the U.S. line and my wife went through the line for international passport holders.

The immigration officer asked me what I was carrying and I said kimchi. Then, he asked me what is that? I said it was pickled cabbage. He asked me if it was meat? I said no. (I guess there is some meat in kimchi by the way). Then, he asked me if it had been cooked. I said yes. He let me through no problems at all.

My wife and I met on the other side and we tried to go through the nothing to declare line. The officer stopped my wife. I told her the immigration officer that I too carried kimchi. She asked me what is that? I told her it was kimchi. She than said ok but what is it? Is it meat? I said no. Then she said it does not matter, she (my wife) has to go through the declaration line. I asked why I didn't have to and she said the immigration officer who inspected me earlier didn't indicate I had to.

My wife, probably after the clue I gave her talking to the previous immigration officer, said the kimchi was not meat. They let her on through without any other difficulties.

That is my story and I am sticking with it. I have no idea if you can transport homemade kimchi or not but we did. I don't think I'd ever want to do it again though.

[jvalmer]

Almost all 1st generation Korean-Canadian families make Kimchi at home. I'm sure it won't be too hard to find one willing to give you some free Kimchi.

[jvalmer]

At least the ones that came pre-1995ish...

[thu_tinh]

i was wondering about people's experience bringing kimchi back to Canada. where I live the kimchi bought in Asian supermarkets isn't very good. it comes in a jar and places on the shelves. doesn't sound too good already right?

[anae]

I am pretty sure Canadian customs does not allow it. On one of my trips through Vancouver, I saw a halmoni having her homemade kimchi confiscated. Why don't you just use your aunt's recipe? Making kimchi is not that hard.

[alwaysfaithless]

I usually get kimchi where I live in New Brunswick from a Korean general store. THis store caters to the Korean and Chinese students in our small city. Since kimichi is preserved, I can't really tell whether it is fresh or not.....still tastes good. It's packaged in a medium size container for about 3 dollars. My roommate would leave the kitchen whenever I open up the container......hee heee

[OiGirl]