Korean Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi
Oi sobagi is a Korean stuffed cucumber kimchi where salted cucumbers are slit crosswise - base left intact - and packed with a filling of chopped garlic chives, onion, gochugaru, anchovy fish sauce, and plum syrup. Each bite releases the cucumber's cool juice together with the spicy, fragrant stuffing, and the firm flesh contrasts with the softer chive filling inside. Salting for exactly thirty minutes is critical - any longer softens the cucumber past the point where it can hold its shape and crunch. Four hours of room-temperature fermentation followed by refrigeration allows lactic acid to develop overnight, bringing a tangy depth that peaks by the second day. Cutting into three-centimeter pieces just before serving minimizes juice loss from the stuffed interior.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Trim cucumbers and make cross slits, keeping the base intact.
- 2
Rub with salt, rest 30 minutes, rinse, and drain well.
- 3
Chop chives and onion, then mix with chili flakes, fish sauce, garlic, and plum syrup.
- 4
Stuff the seasoning mixture into each cucumber slit.
- 5
Stand cucumbers upright in a container and spread remaining filling on top.
- 6
Rest 4 hours at room temp, then refrigerate and serve from next day.
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