How to Cucumber Kimchi

 

Illustrated by Owen Lee

My mom used to make kimchi every year with her relatives. Unfortunately, since we immigrated to Canada, she stopped making kimchi because of how tedious it can be. Kimchi takes a lot of time and effort let alone the fermenting process. But one thing that my mom keeps making is her special cucumber kimchi which doesn’t take too long unlike the other cucumber kimchi.

The ingredients are simple and easy to follow. I made this to pair with my roast duck, and its spicy tangy flavor mixed well with the tender roast duck dipped in black bean sauce.

Here we go! 👨🏻‍🔧🍄🐢

Ingredients:

·         3 long cucumbers

·         4 green onions

·         White vinegar or rice vinegar

·         5 spoons of salt

·         1 spoon of sugar

·         Spicy pepper powder (Korean pepper powder called gochugaru)

Steps:

1.      Wash your cucumbers and green onions with coarse salt by rubbing the salt against the cucumber OR soak the cucumber in water + couple spoons of vinegar + couple spoons of baking soda.

2.      Rinse the cucumbers and green onions thoroughly and slice them vertically then slice them horizontally by three.

3.      Make shallow cuts (horizontally 3 to 4 times) onto the outer layer of the cucumber.

4.      Place the cucumbers and green onions into a bowl and soak them in salty water (water + 3 to 4 spoons of water) for about 1 hour.

5.      Drain your vegetables and add 1 spoon of salt, 2 spoons of vinegar, 1 spoon of sugar, 2 spoons of pepper powder.

6.      Mix them altogether.

7.      Store your cucumber kimchi in a container.

Unlike pickles, it’s less salty but refreshing. Try it at home and share how you made it.