Last year students at Baldwin High School handed out jars of kimchi to teachers and classmates in celebration of a one-off Kimchi Day declared by the Legislature. Teens participated in a kimchi competition to see who made the best dish and talked collectively about the popular food’s cultural influence in Hawaii.

Created as a single day of celebration, last year’s Kimchi Day commemorated the 120th anniversary of the first Korean immigrant workers arriving in Honolulu in 1903. Now lawmakers are considering making an annual celebration of the dish with House Bill 1950. The bill has received approval from committees in both the House and Senate.

At least five other states, including California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland have named Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day.

More than 50,000 residents who identify as ethnically Korean live in Hawaii now, according to the bill, and Kimchi Day sparked cultural events across the state, such as the one described in testimony from a Baldwin High School teacher on Maui.

Legislators say that formalizing a day of commemoration on Nov. 22 each year could create even more community goodwill and recognition of Koreans and their contributions to Hawaii.

“To me, kimchi is a local food,” said Rep. Linda Ichiyama, who introduced the bill. “Regardless of what ethnicity or cultural background you are from, it’s part of our local food culture.”

Kimchi is a traditional Korean food typically made using cabbage and various spices to create a tangy, crunchy, and flavorful side dish. 

Besides the cultural benefits, the bill would also foster economic growth with an emphasis on Korean businesses in Hawaii, Ichiyama said. 

“Cultural events can draw customers,” she said, adding that it could help local businesses that sell kimchi products.

Many local businesses have been making kimchi for decades, and the popularity of kimchi in Hawaii has only risen in recent years, according to business owners. 

One of the local businesses that Ichiyama mentioned is Halm’s Enterprises, which processes about 26,000 pounds of won bok cabbage, a core ingredient of kimchi, per week.

“Kimchi is popular in Hawaii,” said Kathi Meechan, vice president of Halm’s Enterprises. “There’s no doubt.”

A Korean restaurant in Kaimuki that has kept the same kimchi recipe for decades is called Kim Chee II.

“We’ve been in business for 47 years now, so we feel that we are firmly rooted in the community,” said Faith Chun, whose family owns the restaurant. “People from the mainland also come and buy our kimchi and take it back with them.” 

Another local brand, Yeong Suk’s, churns out 1,200 to 1,500 pounds of kimchi per week. 

“I named it after my mother, and she’s the best kimchi maker I know,” said Joyce Harris, president of Hawaii Commercial Foods, which owns and distributes Yeong Suk’s products. 

Harris is glad to see that her hard work has the potential to be recognized on Kimchi Day, and says that Koreans, especially tourists, will be delighted to have a Kimchi Day in Hawaii. 

“It makes me so proud because we used to get teased about our culture,” Harris said. “But now kimchi has become so popular in the community, and people love kimchi.”