Kkakdugi

Ingredients

Radish

• 1.5 kgKorean radish (mu), cut in 2 cm cubes
• 2 tbspcoarse salt
• 1 tbspsugar

Paste

• 5 tbspgochugaru
• 3 tbspsalted shrimp (saeujeot), chopped fine
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 8 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 3cm ginger, grated
• 1 tbspsugar
• 4spring onions, in lengths

Optional

• 2 tbspglutinous rice porridge, cooled

Directions

1. Use Korean radish rather than daikon if you can. It is denser and less watery, which is what gives kkakdugi its crunch — daikon works but goes softer sooner.
2. Toss the cubes with the salt and sugar and leave for two hours, turning once. They will release a good deal of water.
3. Drain the radish but do not rinse it, and keep about 100 ml of the liquid. That salty radish water goes back into the paste and carries flavour a rinse would wash away.
4. Mix the gochugaru with the reserved radish water first and let it sit five minutes to bloom — dry chilli powder stirred straight into the vegetables never colours evenly.
5. Add the salted shrimp, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar and rice porridge if using, and mix into a thick paste.
6. Toss the drained radish through the paste with your hands, wearing gloves, until every cube is evenly red.
7. Pack into a jar or crock, pressing down hard to drive out air, and leave a few centimetres of headspace — it will bubble up.
8. Leave at room temperature for one to two days until it begins to smell sour and fizz slightly, then refrigerate. It is good after a week and better after a month.

Technique

• Do not rinse the salted radish, and keep some of its liquid for the paste.
• Bloom the gochugaru in liquid before mixing. It is the difference between even colour and dry patches.
• Leave headspace and burp the jar. Kkakdugi produces a lot of gas.

Substitutions

• Daikon, which is the usual substitute outside Korea.
• Anchovy sauce in place of salted shrimp, or soy sauce and a little miso for a vegan version.
• Skip the rice porridge; it helps the paste cling but is not essential.

Variations

• The standard partner to seolleongtang and gamjatang, the ox-bone and pork-bone soups.
• Older sour kkakdugi is fried into kimchi bokkeumbap rather than eaten raw.

History

Joseon accounts credit the household of King Jeongjo’s daughter with serving cubed radish kimchi at a late eighteenth-century palace banquet.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kkakdugi?

Kkakdugi is a fermented & pickled from South Korea: crunchy cubes of radish kimchi, the standard partner to ox-bone soups. Joseon accounts credit the household of King Jeongjo’s daughter with serving cubed radish kimchi at a late eighteenth-century palace banquet.

How long does Kkakdugi take to make?

Kkakdugi takes 40 min plus 2 hours salting and 2 days fermenting of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 1.5 kg. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Kkakdugi?

Yes, within limits. Daikon, which is the usual substitute outside Korea. Anchovy sauce in place of salted shrimp, or soy sauce and a little miso for a vegan version. Skip the rice porridge; it helps the paste cling but is not essential.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kkakdugi?

Use Korean radish rather than daikon if you can. It is denser and less watery, which is what gives kkakdugi its crunch — daikon works but goes softer sooner.