← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 2 small cucumbers (about 200 g), cut into matchsticks
• 5 g dried wakame (miyeok)
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp soup soy sauce
• 4 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 1½ tbsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
• 2 tsp Sesame seeds
• 800 ml cold water
• 1 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 Red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
• ice cubes, to serve

Method

1. Soak the wakame in cold water for 10 min, until soft. Drain, squeeze dry and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber and wakame with the garlic, soup soy sauce and gochugaru.
3. Stir the vinegar, sugar and salt into the cold water until dissolved, then pour it over the vegetables. Taste: it should be bright, sour and a little sweet.
4. Chill for 30 min, then serve in bowls with a few ice cubes, sprinkled with sesame seeds, spring onion and chilli.

Tips

• Season a touch stronger than you think; the ice dilutes it as it melts.
• Use regular soy sauce with a little extra salt if you do not have soup soy sauce.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang Kimchimari