Clean-Tasting Kkaennip Kimchi (Perilla Leaf Kimchi)
A summer banchan made with perilla leaves tossed in a clean seasoning of soy sauce and tuna extract sauce instead of pungent anchovy or sand lance fish sauce.
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 →
By skipping the strongly scented anchovy or sand lance fish sauce and using tuna extract sauce and regular soy sauce instead, this kimchi tastes gentle and clean. Turning the stack upside down while it matures lets the seasoned juices soak through evenly, making the leaves much juicier. Made in a big batch with affordable seasonal leaves, it keeps you well supplied with a reliable summer side dish for more than a week.
- Servings
- about 8–10 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
- Keeps
- 7 days
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Perilla leaves100 leaves
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Onion1/4
- Red chili pepper (or 1/4 carrot)2
Perilla leaf seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)8 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))8 tbsp
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)4 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Green plum syrup (maesil-cheong)2 tbsp
- Sugar2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds2 tbsp
- Anchovy broth1/2 cup
- The red chili pepper is just for color, so you can substitute carrot or leave it out completely.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare 100 perilla leaves.
Have the large green onion, red chili pepper, and onion ready. The red chili pepper is just for color, so you can substitute carrot or leave it out completely.
Slice the ingredients
Rinse the perilla leaves one by one under running water, drain the water, and trim the stems to a comfortable length to pick up with chopsticks.
Finely chop the large green onion, onion, and red chili pepper.
Make the seasoning
I made half the batch of Chef Jeong Ho-young's perilla leaf kimchi seasoning.
Add the seasoning ingredients: 8 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 8 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 4 tbsp tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek), 2 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), 2 tbsp green plum syrup (maesil-cheong), 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp corn syrup (mulyeot), 2 tbsp minced garlic, and 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds...
Chef Jeong Ho-young blended 1/2 cup of gut-removed soup anchovies finely with an equal amount of water and poured that in.
I poured in 1/2 cup of anchovy broth and stirred it together.
Give it a quick taste. To my palate, the sweetness seemed a bit strong, so cutting the plum syrup and sugar in half would probably be just right.
Spread the seasoning
Stack 2 to 3 perilla leaves together and spread about 1 tbsp of the seasoning over them.
If you stack the leaves facing only one direction, the pile will lean, so switch the direction around halfway through to keep it from tilting to one side.
Finish
After 2 to 3 hours, the seasoning will soak in and the stiff leaves will soften and wilt down.
Flip the top and bottom positions as you pack them into a container and store it in the refrigerator; a shallow pool of liquid will form.
Flip the layers once more so the entire batch is soaked in the juicy seasoning, and you can enjoy it at its best.
Because it contains no strongly scented sand lance or anchovy fish sauce, the seasoning feels mild and gentle.
This seasoning is delicious too.
For those who dislike fish sauce, I highly recommend this seasoning.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you stack the leaves facing only one direction, the pile will lean, so switch the direction around halfway through to keep it from tilting to one side.
- Flip the top and bottom positions as you pack them into a container and store it in the refrigerator; a shallow pool of liquid will form. Flip the layers once more so the entire batch is soaked in the juicy seasoning, and you can enjoy it at its best.
FAQ
Will the seasoning be salty enough without any anchovy or sand lance fish sauce?
Using regular soy sauce, tuna extract sauce, and anchovy broth as the base provides plenty of savory umami without the distinct fishy smell of fermented fish sauce.
What can I substitute if I do not have red chili pepper?
The red chili pepper is used mainly for color, so you can julienne some carrot instead or simply leave it out.
How do I prevent the perilla leaf stack from tilting over?
Stacking the leaves with the stems facing only one direction makes the pile unstable, so alternate the direction of the stems as you layer them to keep the stack level.
How can I adjust the seasoning if it tastes too sweet?
If you prefer it less sweet, cut the amounts of green plum syrup and sugar roughly in half when mixing the seasoning to suit your taste.
