Since my personal experimentation with fermentation tends to result in biological hazards and minor explosions, I tends to buy my fermented foods. I recently discovered a brand of store-bought jarred kimchi that tastes exactly right... the only problem is that it's not spicy at all. (It might actually have some spice, but I have a very high heat tolerance.)
How can I make my kimchi spicier, hopefully in an authentic fashion? Different varieties of pepper have different characteristics and flavors, and I'm trying to figure out the best technique and the variety/varieties which will give me heat without compromising on the flavor.
As an example or what I mean -- earlier today I was using the kimchi as a condiment and I mixed it with some sliced jalapenos. Jalapenos taste a lot like green bell pepper, so that was an unfortunate choice, and it wasn't very spicy at all.