You can't spell Irene Kim Chin without kimchi.

Hei Hei is a premium fermented foods company founded by Irene Kim Chin in Athens, Ohio, in 2023. Our ferments connect Irene’s Korean heritage with the rich agricultural traditions of Appalachia, the place we call home.

Our premium kimchi is made using a recipe and technique passed down to Irene by her aunt, then fermented slowly and naturally to develop deep flavor and the benefits of traditional fermentation.

Whenever possible, we make our ferments with fresh, seasonal vegetables grown by family farms here in southern Ohio. Since starting Hei Hei, we’ve been proud to work with more than 25 farms in the Athens region!

The Hei Hei Way.

Honor the land.

Mother Nature and all living things deserve our respect. It starts with the land—soil, water, forests, and animals. 

Honor the farmer.

The farmer is the caretaker of the land and deserves respect and fair pay. We work with farmers who grow heirloom varieties using regenerative and organic methods because their work enriches the land and produces better-tasting, more nutritious food.

Honor the food. 

Food can nourish and bring people together. We work with care and respect for what the land and farmer provide, transforming exceptional seasonal ingredients into food that is both delicious and nutritious.  

Honor the customer. 

The customer deserves the highest quality food at a fair price. We stand behind every product we make—handmade, thoughtfully sourced, convenient, and guaranteed. If you’re ever unsatisfied, call the number on the package (740-300-0350)—we’ll make it right.

As long as we follow these values, we will achieve our ultimate goal to serve our customers, employees, farmers, and community. Along the way, we aim to be a source of positivity—because when we’re having fun and feeling good about our work, we know we’re on the right path.

More About Hei Hei

Since 2024, we have proudly sourced ingredients from over 20 farmers in the Appalachian Ohio region. These small-scale, family-owned operations are pioneering the future of sustainable agriculture by honoring tradition while embracing cutting-edge regenerative practices like silvopasture, agroforestry, seed saving, no-till farming, and biodiverse crop rotations. 

We are committed to working with these farms because they produce the best ingredients possible, food that is more flavorful, more nutritious, better for the environment, better for the farmer—and because we’re committed to investing in our regional economy.

Hei Hei is a proud member of The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks. We produce our products at the ACEnet commercial kitchen in Athens, Ohio.

If you're ever in the area please let us know (email or call anytime). We'd love to show you around as there is always something cool going on at ACEnet! 

Ok, time to get back to making dumplings! 

Peace and love,

Kurt Vincent, co-founder of Hei Hei 
tel. (740) 300-0350

Proud member of ACEnet and the Athens Area Chamber