Korean Lettuce Root Kimchi

Name: Korean Lettuce Root Kimchi
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: Korean wild lettuce root herb 800 g; salt 50 g; Korean chili flakes 4 tbsp; anchovy fish sauce 3 tbsp; sweet rice paste 3 tbsp; minced garlic 1 tbsp; scallions 60 g

Quick answer

Active time: 70 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Hard
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

A good soak in salted water draws much of the harsh bitterness out of godeulppaegi greens.

What stays in the finished kimchi is a gentle bitter undertone beneath the fermented tang. The roots stay chewy while the leaves turn soft, giving two textures in one stem. In parts of Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces it is traditionally made in autumn and eaten through the winter. After at least 2 days of ripening it goes to the table as a side for rice.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

Korean wild lettuce root herb

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Scrape the fine hairs from 800 g of Korean wild lettuce root herb and remove any wilted leaves.

Dissolve 50 g salt in 1 liter water, then soak for at least 2 hours to draw out the sharp bitterness.
2

Rinse the soaked herb in cold water 2 or 3 times, swishing gently to remove surface salt.

Taste one stalk; if it is too salty, rinse once more, then drain in a colander for 30 minutes.
3

Mix 4 tbsp Korean chili flakes, 3 tbsp anchovy fish sauce, 3 tbsp sweet rice paste, and 1 tbsp minced garlic.

Let it stand for about 10 minutes until the flakes hydrate, the color deepens, and the paste thickens.
4

Cut 60 g scallions into 5 cm pieces and coat them with the seasoning first so their aroma spreads through the paste.

Add the drained herb and toss lightly with fingertips to avoid bruising the tender leaves.
5

Pack the seasoned stalks into a kimchi container in the same direction and press firmly with your palm to remove air pockets.

Check that the surface is evenly coated with seasoning and no dry pieces are exposed.
6

Ferment at room temperature for about half a day, then move the container to the refrigerator.

After at least 2 days, serve when the bitterness tastes rounded and a gentle fermented acidity has developed.