Kimchi is a known fermented vegetables dish in Korean cuisine. The one that I know is made of napa cabbage. I think they also do radish and cucumber. Anyways, I’m not here to tell you the different kinds of kimchi. LOL.

I’m here to dissect the vegetable ingredients of kimchi and learn their scientific names.

Napa cabbage – Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis

Rice (flour) – Oryza sativa

Gochugaru or korean chili (flakes) – Capsicum anuum

Korean radish – Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus

Korean chives – Allium tuberosum

Carrots – Daucus carota

Garlic – Allium sativum

Ginger – Zingiber officinale

Onion – Allium cepa

Living alone now in the US where you have to buy stuff in bulk, it is not easy to finish all the vegetables I get. I want to have a healthier lifestyle but my environment gives me a lot of excuses not to. I have to find ways how to store food that are very perishable and I found fermentation as one of the many ways to preserve my veggies. Kimchi is not easy to make but it allows me store vegetables longer. Knowing that I am using the correct ingredients by knowing their scientific names is helpful for me since not all groceries sell napa cabbage. Here’s my version of home-made kimchi:

I’ve been reading this book The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman, and came across an insight about having a Cato.

But first, who is Cato?

Cato the Younger, according to the book, is a Roman politician known to defend the Republic against Julius Caesar. He is a brave, bold, noble and disciplined person. He is the most commonly cited philosopher because of his principled life.

March 10th entry in the book suggests having a Cato or an indifferent spectator in our life. Someone who will quietly remind us when we are getting lost in life and choosing to avoid the uncomfortable situation crucial to attain our end-goal in this short lifetime.

This Cato could be your mom, dad, friend, lover or even Cato himself, basically anyone (existing or not) who can remind you that you are not doing the right thing.

Life could be very distracting most of the time and it is important that you have someone to tell you that you are doing something that will not benefit you and consequently directly or indirectly others.

And when you find your best Cato, try to be the best version of yourself worthy to become a Cato in someone else’s life.