( CNN ) -- A spike in napa cabbage prices has South Koreans sweating over their national side dish , kimchi . Many Koreans eat the spicy fermented cabbage dish every day , and a weather-driven crop shortage has forced them to cut back or pay much more . The price of napa cabbage , a key ingredient in kimchi , has climbed fourfold . `` Restaurants are charging for extra kimchi now . They 're charging 2000 won for a refill . A meal generally costs 5000 won , '' said Joe McPherson , founding editor of ZenKimchi.com , which features the Korean Food Journal . Koreans have taken to jokingly calling the side dish `` geum-chi , '' substituting in the Korean word for gold . The government has even stepped in . Import duties on cabbages and radishes have been suspended till year 's end to help Koreans cope , said the Yonhap news agency . One hundred and fifty tons of the fresh vegetables are being imported from China as well . Japan faces food pressure from China . Some Koreans are looking for the government to do more , such as subsidize cabbage sales , said Eun Jeong Lee , a researcher at Seoul-based ZenKimchi.com . Kimchi-making season is coming up , which might force the issue . Korean families typically gather and make kimchi together in late October or early November , before winter sets in . `` They 're still going to make it . They 're just going to make less of it or use substitute ingredients , '' McPherson said . The endless variations on kimchi include radishes and cucumbers . In the United States , which has adopted kimchi , it 's made its way into fusion food such as tacos and hamburgers . Why is 'food security ' sparking unrest ? On the microblogging site Twitter , kimchi fans from around the world were commiserating . `` Do not laugh : this is serious stuff for Koreans and kimchi lovers everywhere ! '' one user posted .
Many Koreans eat the spicy fermented cabbage dish every day . The price of napa cabbage , a key ingredient in kimchi , has climbed fourfold . In South Korea, there are many restaurants that serve up traditional Korean food and drink at affordable prices. Kimchi-making season , a family event , is coming up .