Crisp and Tangy Summer Kkakdugi (Radish Kimchi)
A summer kkakdugi salted with sugar and salt to bring out natural sweetness, tossed lightly without starch paste.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This kkakdugi salts less-sweet summer radish with salt and sugar together to bring out a clean sweetness. Tossed with a simple seasoning without glutinous rice paste, it ripens nicely after about a day at room temperature in summer into a tangy side dish. It is perfect alongside seolleongtang or as an everyday side dish with rice.
- Servings
- about 8–10 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Korean radish (mu)1 kg
- Scallions (jjokpa)5
- Coarse sea salt3 tbsp
- Sugar2 tbsp
Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)3 tbsp
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Salted fermented shrimp (saeujeot)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds
- If you don't have scallions, you can omit them.
- I used salted fermented shrimp, but sand lance fish sauce or anchovy fish sauce can also be used.
Steps
1. One medium Korean radish weighs about 1kg.
Peel the skin.
2. I cut it into cubes of about 2.5cm.
You can cut them to different sizes according to your preference.
3. Add coarse sea salt and sugar, mix well, and let salt for about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Adding sugar during the salting process allows the sweetness to permeate the radish, making it as delicious as autumn radish.
When making kkakdugi in winter, you should salt it for at least 2 hours.
4. Cut scallions into about 3cm lengths. If you don't have scallions, you can omit them.
5. Rinse the salted radish in clear water once or twice, place in a colander, and drain for 30 minutes.
6. Add gochugaru to the radish, toss well, and let sit for 30 minutes.
As the radish absorbs color from the gochugaru, moist liquid will form.
7. Add 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp salted fermented shrimp, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp minced ginger, and toasted sesame seeds to the radish, and toss well.
I used salted fermented shrimp, but sand lance fish sauce or anchovy fish sauce also works.
I do not add glutinous rice paste to summer kkakdugi, which ferments relatively easily.
If you feel there is too little moisture, you can add about 3 tbsp water or anchovy broth and toss.
8. Add the scallions at the end...
10
9. Mix thoroughly, and it is complete.
10. In summer weather like these days, leave it at room temperature for 24 hours to ferment until tangy.
Once properly fermented, store it in the refrigerator and enjoy.
Ppunwife's tips
- Adding a lot of sugar to the seasoning for sweetness makes the liquid sticky and ruins the clean taste. In this case, try salting with both salt and sugar together.
- If you feel there is too little moisture, you can add about 3 tbsp water or anchovy broth and toss.
FAQ
How should I salt summer radish to bring out its sweetness?
If you mix sugar along with salt and let it salt for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, sweetness permeates into the radish and makes it delicious.
Can I use other fish sauces instead of salted fermented shrimp?
It is completely fine to use anchovy fish sauce or sand lance fish sauce instead of salted fermented shrimp.
What should I do if it lacks moisture while mixing?
If you feel there is not enough moisture, you can add about 3 tbsp water or anchovy broth and toss.
How long should it ferment at room temperature after making?
In summer, leave it at room temperature for about 24 hours to ripen until tangy, then store it in the refrigerator.
