Chonggak Kimchi

Ingredients

Radish

• 2 kgponytail radishes (chonggak mu), with their greens
• 3 tbspcoarse salt

Paste

• 6 tbspgochugaru
• 3 tbspsalted shrimp, chopped
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 8 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 3cm ginger, grated
• 1 tbspsugar
• 4 tbspglutinous rice porridge, cooled
• 4spring onions, in lengths

Directions

1. Trim the ponytail radishes but keep the greens attached — the whole radish with its leafy top is what chonggak kimchi is, and cutting the greens off makes it kkakdugi with the wrong shape.
2. Scrub them well, rubbing between the root and the leaves where grit collects, and split any thick ones lengthwise so they salt evenly.
3. Rub with the coarse salt, working it into the greens as well, and leave two hours, turning once. Rinse briefly and drain well.
4. Cook the glutinous rice porridge — a tablespoon of rice flour whisked into 150 ml water and simmered until thick — and cool it completely. It helps the paste cling to the radish and feeds the ferment.
5. Mix the gochugaru into the cooled porridge first and let it bloom for five minutes. Dry chilli stirred straight onto the vegetables never colours evenly.
6. Add the salted shrimp, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar and spring onion and mix into a thick paste.
7. Wearing gloves, coat each radish and its greens thoroughly, then fold the greens around the root and tuck them in so each one makes a neat bundle.
8. Pack into a jar, pressing hard to drive out air, leaving headspace. Leave at room temperature a day or two until it fizzes, then refrigerate. Good after a week, better after a month.

Technique

• Keep the greens on and salt them too. They are half the pleasure of this kimchi.
• Bloom the gochugaru in the rice porridge before mixing.
• Scrub between root and leaves. Grit collects there and it is unpleasant to find later.

Substitutions

• Small daikon with their tops, if ponytail radishes are unavailable.
• Anchovy sauce in place of salted shrimp, or soy and miso for a vegan version.

Variations

• Eaten with noodles, which is its traditional partner.
• Older sour chonggak is chopped into stews and fried rice.

History

Named for the bachelor’s topknot the small radish resembles, and a favourite accompaniment to noodles.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chonggak Kimchi?

Chonggak Kimchi is a fermented & pickled from South Korea: whole ponytail radishes kimchi-fermented with their greens; crunchy and sharp. Named for the bachelor’s topknot the small radish resembles, and a favourite accompaniment to noodles.

How long does Chonggak Kimchi take to make?

Chonggak Kimchi takes 45 min plus 2 hours salting and 2 days fermenting of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 2 kg. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chonggak Kimchi?

Yes, within limits. Small daikon with their tops, if ponytail radishes are unavailable. Anchovy sauce in place of salted shrimp, or soy and miso for a vegan version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chonggak Kimchi?

Trim the ponytail radishes but keep the greens attached — the whole radish with its leafy top is what chonggak kimchi is, and cutting the greens off makes it kkakdugi with the wrong shape.