LEEK - P'A

Traditionally, leek was eaten with raw fish in spring and Indian mustard in wingter, today, it is still an indispensable ingredients in fish dishes, as it neutralizes the fishy taste and removes harmful elements. Choose leeks that are firm, and wash them carefully to remove all the grit.

KOREAN WATERCRESS - MINARI

A seasonal garden green highly prized by Korean people, for its taste, its crunchy texture, and its fragrance. Unless you know someone who has grown minari from seed, you will have to use western-style watercress, which is more readily available. Wash and dry well before using.

KOREAN LETTUCE - SSUMBAGWI

korean lettuce



Korea is perhaps the only country to enjoy kimchee made of bitter ssumbagwi and kodulppaegi (Ixeris sonchifolia, a variety of lettuce). For an inauthentic substitute, try other bitter leaves such as curly endive (frisée) or rocket (arugula)

CHIVES

PUCH’U



Chives are known to have come from the northwestern part of China. Use the flat-leafed Chinese variety as far as possible. The conventional chive is reasonable substitute, but doesn’t hold as well as the flat-leafed variety.

LETTUCE

SANGCH’ U

The word sangchú seems to have originated from saengch’ae, raw vegetable, from the fact that it is usually eaten raw. Any soft-leafed lettuce may be used, for instance butter, mignonette or coral.

RADISH - MU - DAIKON

radish - daikon

Also known by its Japanese name, daikon.
Daikon is a large white radish which can grow to a length of 15 in (40cm), with a diameter of about 3 in (8cm). Choose firm, heavy, unblemished specimens, if possible with some greenery attached which is edible. Scrub well before grating or slicing for use raw in salads or pickle whole. Widely use in Japanese cooking, the fresh root is often served finely grated and eaten with soy sauce. Pickled daikon radish is yellow or white in color, and sold vacuum-packed and in jars.

red radish

BELLFLOWER ROOT - TORAJI

Because of their appearance, bellflower and ginseng roots have been symbols of the male. The roots are steeped in brine or rubbed with salt to remove the bitter taste; or tossed in a seasoning of chili pepper powder, leek, and crushed garlic; and fermented. Or they could be processed like kkaktugi, a somewhat dry, diced radish kimchee. Omit if the fresh is not available.

CUCUMBER

MENTIMUN, OI

Cucumber grows well without special fertilization or watering, if you are buying them, choose young, slender varieties, preferably with thin skins. Zucchini is not a substitute.
Japanese cucumber are short and have a sweeter flavor and a smoother texture than large cucumber. This variety, also known as Lebanese cucumbers in some countries, is widely available in the fresh vegetables section of food stores. Baby cucumbers or pickling gherkins are good substitute.

GOURD

PAK





Gourds are members of the squash (Cucurbitaceae) family, with a delicately flavoured flesh. Dried gourd strips are also popular in Korea. For gourd kimchee, hollow out the gourd, peel and dice the flesh. Salt, rinse and drain, then season with chili pepper powder and threads of red pepper. Add sliced scallions and pear, and ladle a brine of anchovies over it.

CABBAGE - PAECH' U - KOL

white cabbage

Korean cabbage

The vegetable has a long shape, like cos lettuce, with closely packed pale green to white leaves. The leaves are very delicate in flavor. There are two types – one with narrower leaves and a longer stem, and the other has broader leaves and is more squat.