Again, there is little to report. I’ve had an idle day, in anticipation of the excitement beginning tomorrow.

The kimchi has livened up a bit – has progressed, that is, from totally-inert to the-occasional-bubble. I need to understand more about what fermentation is. When James and Cathy are here – perhaps leave it until Sunday evening – we can have a taste and see what they think. One of my YouTube instructors says to keep tasting until it is as sour as you like it. What is “sour” exactly? Not lemon juice – that’s “tart”.

The greatest of our P-cats, dear old Poussin, used to sit transfixed in front of the hamster cage, pussy-cat’s-television. I am afraid I have been rather like that myself today, watching for bubbles in my kimchi jars.

For ordinary fermentation of vegetables, you tidy them up as required and pack them into a clean jar with some seasoning, and then fill the jar up with brine at a concentration somewhere between 2% and 5% (quot homines, tot sententiae). Cover the jar, put it away for a while, that’s it.

Kimchi is different. You salt the cabbage, leave it for some time, rinse thoroughly and squeeze it dry, then combine cabbage and the other vegetables and the spice paste. The ingredients have to provide the brine for themselves, both the liquid and the salt.

The corrugated ribbing continues to progress well. I should finish it tonight – the television schedule is provided with just the right mixture of trivia. I am hugely enjoying the Royal-Wedding-build-up programs. There’s one tonight, about (appropriately enough) Prince Harry. There’s also a new cookery program – I like those too.