Korean Young Radish Kimchi

Name: Korean Young Radish Kimchi
Prep time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: korean
Ingredients: Young radish 500 g; Red pepper flakes 3 tbsp; Fish sauce 2 tbsp; Garlic 4 cloves; Salt 2 tbsp

Salt 500 g young radish with 2 tbsp salt, mostly over the stems, for 30 minutes, turning once, until the stems bend softly without snapping. Rinse twice in cold water and drain for 10 minutes without squeezing hard, or the greens will bruise. Let the garlic, gochugaru, and fish sauce paste stand for 5 minutes, toss by lifting from the bottom, since hard kneading can bring out grassy bitterness, then ferment at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours and refrigerate when bubbles and a tangy aroma appear.

Quick answer

Active time: 30 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 5

About this dish

Thin stems and tender leaves make young radish easy to bruise, and rough handling leaves a grassy, raw smell.

Every stage from rinsing to mixing needs a light hand. As the paste settles in, the greens release liquid that becomes a tangy, chili-flecked brine, and pressing the greens down into it keeps the fermentation even. After roughly half a day at room temperature, small bubbles and a sour smell signal it is time for the fridge. In summer, when fermentation runs fast, it can be refrigerated straight away. Chilled, it is piled onto bibim-guksu or naengmyeon through the summer.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

Garlic4 cloves

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Trim away wilted leaves from 500 g young radish, rinse several times to remove grit, and cut into 5 cm pieces.

Shake off excess water gently so the slender stems stay intact before salting.
2

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons salt mostly over the stems first, then lightly over the leaves.

Let the radish sit for 30 minutes, turning once, until the stems bend softly without snapping.
3

Rinse the salted radish twice in cold water to reduce excess salinity and any earthy smell.

Drain in a colander for 10 minutes, but do not squeeze hard or the greens will bruise.
4

Coarsely mince 4 garlic cloves and mix them with 3 tablespoons gochugaru and 2 tablespoons fish sauce.

Let the paste stand for 5 minutes so the flakes hydrate and turn deep red.
5

Add the paste to the drained radish and toss by lifting from the bottom.

Avoid hard kneading, which can bring out grassy bitterness, and stop when the stems and leaves are evenly red.
6

Pack the kimchi firmly into an airtight container, pressing out air and keeping the greens under their forming brine.

Ferment at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours, then refrigerate when bubbles and a tangy aroma appear.