We began Mother-in-Law’s with a mission to share a delicious, authentic, handcrafted small batch kimchi using the finest natural ingredients. As an avid food and wine lover, founder, Lauryn Chun was inspired by the beauty of Korea's handcrafted tradition of kimchi as a fine food that belongs in the ranks of fine fermented foods like wine, cheese and beer traditions.

Our first kimchi launched in 2009 with original “House” based on an original recipe from her mother’s family restaurant Mother-in-Law's House (Jang Mo Jip) founded in 1989 in Garden Grove, California. It is still our best seller!

In 2012, Lauryn authored The Kimchi Cookbook: 60 Modern and Traditional Ways to Make and Cook Kimchi to share the history of kimchi making tradition with modern recipes and share its versatility to more home cooks.

Mother-in-Law’s Gochujang launched in 2014, the most popular fermented chile paste and sauces which captures authentic flavors of the Korean pantry. The unique taste of gochujang’s flavor profile comes from fermentation that bring out the taste of umami and moderate heat from the chili spice that many can enjoy. It can be used in a multitude of ways from cooking, dipping and marinade. Ours is loved by many because it contains clean ingredients with no msg or corn syrup!

Mother-in-Law’s is the first brand of artisan kimchi and gochujang sold in specialty and natural markets nationally and a leading pioneer in fermented foods category.

What makes our kimchi different?

We uphold the kimchi making tradition using a handcrafted process throughout from selecting the finest napa cabbage and chile pepper flakes to hand cutting strips of napa cabbage, cubes of daikon radishes, mixing into small batches and hand packed in glass jars. Unlike machine chopping, slicing in strips and mixing in large vats which can bruise delicate vegetables, our distinct handcrafted process from start to finish achieves optimal fermentation and balanced flavors.

Unlike many packaged foods, hand cutting vegetables into long strips and chunks also ensures a more balanced fermentation and deeper flavors to develop.

What’s in a name?

Korea’s culinary tradition have an important relationship with the mother-in-law. When a bride married into her husband’s family, it was customary for the bride to learn the new family’s kimchi making recipes. As one of the most revered culinary skills in any Korean household, traditionally, it was customary for the bride to learn the kimchi recipe from the mother-in-law.

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