For anyone interested in Grothendieck's opinions on kimchi …
https://mikepierce.github.io/grothendieck-kimchi/translation...
https://mikepierce.github.io/grothendieck-kimchi/translation...
he mentions using whatever herbs he had in a european setting like juniper and rosemary but the canonical herb to add is korean chives and dropwort. never seen juniper or rosemary, frankly.
he does mention that the pepper is a specific variety in korea without exception. this is the korean chili, sun-dried and flaked. it's a very distinctive varietal, the taste will be very different without it