Kkakdugi: Radish Cube Kimchi

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg Korean mu (radish, Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus), cut into 2–3 cm cubes, uniform
• 20 g coarse sea salt, for initial salting
• For the yangnyeom
• 40 g gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
• 15 g garlic, minced
• 8 g fresh ginger, minced
• 15 ml fish sauce
• 10 g sugar
• 80 g green onions (spring onions), cut on the diagonal

Method

1. 1
   Cut the mu into 2–3 cm cubes, working for consistency of size so that every piece meets the salt and ferments at the same rate, giving you an even result rather than a patchy one. Before salting, taste a raw cube — it should be firm, slightly sweet, and mildly pungent; if it is bland, reserve a small amount of Asian pear or apple juice to add later to the yangnyeom. Toss the cubes with the coarse sea salt in a large bowl and leave for 30 minutes, during which the cubes will weep visibly and soften slightly at the surface.
2. 2
   After 30 minutes, gather the salted cubes in both hands and squeeze firmly to expel the drawn liquid, then discard it — this is where the dish lives or dies, because insufficient squeezing leaves excess moisture that will dilute the brine and produce weak, watery kkakdugi. The cubes should feel noticeably drier and denser than before salting; that change in hand-feel is your confirmation that enough liquid has gone.
3. 3
   Combine the gochugaru, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and sugar in a bowl to form the yangnyeom, working the ingredients together until the paste is cohesive and deeply red with a sharp, spiced aroma. If the raw radish tasted bland at step 1, add your reserved measure of Asian pear or apple juice to the paste now, so the natural sweetness rounds the seasoning without thinning the colour.
4. 4
   Add the squeezed radish cubes to the yangnyeom and mix thoroughly by hand until every surface is evenly coated, so no pale patch of radish is left exposed to ferment without flavour. Add the diagonally cut green onions last and fold through gently, preserving their texture rather than bruising them into the paste; the paste should cling without pooling liquid at the base of the bowl.
5. 5
   Pack the kkakdugi firmly into a clean jar or airtight container, pressing down as you go to eliminate air pockets so the brine rises to surround the cubes rather than leaving dry spots that can spoil. Leave at room temperature for several hours to start the ferment, then transfer to the refrigerator for 5–7 days; at peak, the brine will be cloudy and present in quantity, the sourness fully developed, and the cubes must still give an audible crunch when bitten — if they are soft and translucent, the fermentation has failed.