Chonggak-kimchi (Ponytail Radish Kimchi)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large basin or kimchi tub
• •Colander large enough for whole radishes
• •Small pot and whisk for rice paste
• •Clean 2-liter glass jar or small onggi
• •Disposable or washable food-safe gloves

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose and trim

   Choose young radishes no thicker than 3 cm across the shoulder, with firm white roots and lively greens. Cut the greens down to 8 to 10 cm, keeping the tender stems and discarding yellow or tough leaves. Scrape away root hairs and dark spots with the back of a knife, but do not peel the radish. The skin is where the bite lives.

   If the radishes are larger than a small egg, split them lengthwise through the root. Very large ones should be quartered. Whole is beautiful, but even salting matters more.
2. 2

   Salt the roots

   Put the radishes in a large basin. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the coarse salt over the roots, rubbing more salt on the white radish than on the greens. Pour 4 cups water around the side of the basin, not directly over the salt. Let sit 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until the roots bend slightly but still feel firm.

3. 3

   Salt the greens

   After the first 20 minutes, gather the greens into the brine and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons salt over them. Greens salt faster than roots, so they go in later. If you salt them from the beginning, they ferment limp and stringy, and no amount of paste will repair that.

4. 4

   Rinse and drain

   Rinse the radishes twice in cool water, lifting them gently so the greens do not tear. Taste a cut edge of one root. It should be seasoned through but not salty like the sea. Drain in a colander for 25 to 30 minutes, cut side down if split. Wet radishes thin the paste and make a watery jar.

5. 5

   Cook rice paste

   Whisk 1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour with 1/2 cup water in a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes until it turns glossy and lightly thick, like a loose porridge. Cool completely. The paste helps the seasoning cling to the slick radish skin and feeds fermentation gently.

6. 6

   Mix seasoning

   In a large bowl, mix the cooled rice paste, gochugaru, fish sauce, chopped salted shrimp, garlic, ginger, grated onion, pear if using, and maesil-cheong. Let it stand 10 minutes so the gochugaru blooms and softens. Taste the paste before it touches the radish. It should be salty, savory, and bright, because the radish will dilute it as it ferments.

7. 7

   Coat by hand

   Add the drained radishes and scallions to the paste. Wearing gloves, rub seasoning over each root and into the base where the greens meet the radish. Do not crush the greens. Fold them along the root so each piece looks tied by its own ponytail. This is why the dish has its name, and also how it packs neatly.

8. 8

   Pack the jar

   Pack the radishes tightly into a clean 2-liter glass jar or small onggi, laying them in one direction and pressing down to remove air pockets. Leave 3 cm headspace. Scrape any remaining paste over the top and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface if your container has extra air. Air is not flavor here; it is spoilage trying to enter.

9. 9

   Ferment and chill

   Leave the jar at cool room temperature, about 18 to 21 C, for 24 to 48 hours, setting it on a plate in case the brine rises. Open once a day to press the radishes under their liquid with a clean spoon. When the brine smells lightly sour and bubbles gather at the sides, refrigerate. It is ready in 5 to 7 days and best from the second week, when the root is still crisp but the seasoning has entered it.

Chef Tips

• •Buy radishes with the greens attached and fresh. If the greens are tough, yellow, or longer than your forearm, trim hard and use only the tender stems nearest the root.
• •Do not peel chonggak-mu. Scrub and scrape. The peel helps the radish stay crisp through fermentation, and peeled roots soften faster.
• •For a cleaner, less fishy kimchi, use all fish sauce and skip the salted shrimp. For deeper fermentation flavor, keep both. Temple-style would omit both and use soup soy sauce plus kelp broth, but it becomes a different, quieter jar.
• •The safe corner to cut is the vessel: a glass jar works if you do not own onggi. The corner not to cut is draining. Wet radishes make loose paste and weak brine.
• •Fermentation speed depends on room temperature. At 24 C, taste after one day. At 18 C, give it two. When it smells gently sour and the brine rises, move it cold.

Advance Preparation

• •The rice paste can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before mixing, so the gochugaru blooms evenly.
• •Chonggak-kimchi needs 24 to 48 hours at cool room temperature, then at least 5 days in the refrigerator before the seasoning settles into the root.
• •Once fermented, keep refrigerated and use clean utensils every time. It is usually best for 3 to 5 weeks, then becomes sharper and better suited to chopping into fried rice or stews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)