Korean Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi

Choose 6 cucumbers with similar thickness so they salt evenly.

Trim both ends, then cut each cucumber lengthwise into a cross, stopping about 1 cm from the base so the four sections stay attached.

Rub 45 g coarse sea salt over the outside and inside the slits, then salt for exactly 30 minutes.

Turn the cucumbers once halfway through so the seasoning draws moisture evenly without making the flesh limp.

Rinse the salted cucumbers briefly in cold water, just enough to remove surface salt.

Stand them in a sieve or container for about 10 minutes to drain, which keeps the filling from becoming watery.

Cut 120 g garlic chives and 70 g onion into short pieces.

Add 70 g gochugaru, 55 ml anchovy fish sauce, 18 g minced garlic, and 20 ml green plum syrup, then mix quickly without crushing the chives.

Open each cucumber slit gently and pack the filling all the way inside.

Use your fingertips to push it in lightly, because pressing too hard can split the cucumber, then coat the outside with a thin layer.

Stand the stuffed cucumbers in a container and spread any remaining filling on top.

Leave at room temperature for 4 hours, refrigerate, then serve from the next day, cutting into 3 cm pieces only right before serving.