Our Story
Tradition in Every Jar. Montreal at Heart. Global in Spirit.
Some stories begin with a recipe. Ours begins with a longing. When Chesun Lee moved to Montreal, far from her roots in Korea, she carried with her more than memories. She carried flavours, scents, and rituals that made her feel whole. One of them was kimchi. Not just a food, but a symbol of home, resilience, and love passed down through generations of women before her.
What started as a way to feed her two children the flavours of her childhood slowly became something more. Friends would taste her kimchi and pause — not just at the boldness of the flavour, but at the feeling it brought.
Warmth. Familiarity. Depth. Soul.
From that moment on, Chesun understood Kimchi could be a bridge, between cultures, and between past and present. Between people longing to feel connected. And so, Madame Kimchi was born not as a trendy product, but as a quiet movement. A way to honour her ancestors while welcoming the world to her table. A way to preserve truth in a world of shortcuts. A way to tell a deeper story through something as simple, and as powerful, as fermented cabbage.
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Every jar of Madame Kimchi is handmade in Montreal, using family recipes that trace back over 1,500 years. We don’t rush. We don’t cut corners. Because flavour takes time and so does trust.
What we make is not just healthy or delicious. It’s alive, with tradition, with care, with a story worth sharing.
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We believe food is memory. It’s identity. It’s healing.
And that when we honour where we come from, we help others feel seen too. So if you’ve ever longed for something that tastes like love and feels like home. We invite you to open a jar and join us. This is not just our story. It’s yours now too. ​Join us on our journey, and taste the difference that comes from a true love and respect for Korean culinary traditions.