Kkakdugi (깍두기) is a traditional Korean kimchi made with cubed radish. It’s crunchy, juicy, spicy, and slightly sweet, with a delicious tangy flavor as it ferments. Along with baechu-kimchi (napa cabbage kimchi), it’s one of the most popular everyday kimchi dishes in Korea. I especially love serving it with hearty soups like seolleongtang (ox-bone soup) and gomtang (beef soup).
When I visited New Orleans in 2025, I had a wonderful meetup with some of my readers. One of them told me that kkakdugi was one of his favorite recipes because it was so easy to make and went well with just about any meal. He loved it so much that he always made another batch before the one in his refrigerator ran out! I shared his story in my April 2025 newsletter.
I loved hearing that because it’s true: kkakdugi is incredibly easy to make. You don’t need any complicated techniques, and it goes well with so many different Korean dishes. Once you start making your own, you might find yourself doing just what my reader does and making a fresh batch before the last one is gone!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Korean radish (or daikon)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ⅔ cup Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 or 6 cloves garlic)
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
Directions
- Peel the radish, rinse it under cold water, and pat it dry.
- Cut it into ¾-to 1-inch cubes and place them into a large bowl.
- Add salt and sugar, and mix well.
Tip: If you like your kkakdugi sweeter, add 1 or more extra tablespoons of sugar. - Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Drain the liquid released from the radish into a small bowl and set it aside.
- Add minced garlic, minced ginger, green onions, fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, and ⅓ cup of the juice from the radish.
*tip: The amount of hot pepper flakes you use depends on your taste; use ¼ cup hot pepper flakes for a mild version. For a vegetarian version, replace fish sauce with Korean soup soy sauce.
- Mix well until the radish cubes are evenly coated with the seasonings and look juicy.
- Transfer the kkakdugi to a glass jar and press it down firmly to remove air pockets between the radish cubes.
- You can enjoy the kkakdugi right away or refrigerate it for later. If you prefer fermented kkakdugi, leave it at room temperature for about 1 to 2 days, depending on how warm your kitchen is. When small bubbles appear and it develops a pleasantly sour smell, transfer it to the refrigerator.
Kkakdugi goes well with many Korean soups, including kongnamulguk (soybean sprout soup) and ox bone soup.
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