Fermented
Kkakdugi
Cubed Radish Kimchi
Crunchy cubed-radish kimchi — crisp, juicy, and refreshing, especially alongside soups and rice.
Kkakdugi is kimchi made from white radish cut into bite-size cubes, seasoned with the same chili-garlic paste and fermented into something crunchy, juicy, and slightly sweet. Its firm snap and cooling juice make it the classic partner to hearty soups like seolleongtang and gomtang, cutting through richness with a clean bite. You'll find it as banchan at countless restaurants, and many Koreans prefer it to cabbage kimchi with certain meals. It's a little less pungent and often more approachable for newcomers than aged cabbage kimchi. Like all kimchi it changes character as it ferments, going from fresh and sweet to deeply sour.
✦ Tastypinch tip
Spear or pin a cube against the dish to pick it up; the smooth cubes can be slippery for new chopstick users.
How to eat it
- Eat a cube or two as banchan between spoonfuls of soup or rice.
- Especially good with rich beef-bone soups like seolleongtang.
- Crunch is the point — it's served to refresh the palate.
Common mistakes
- Don't assume it's vegan — like most kimchi it usually contains salted seafood.
- Take a piece at a time as banchan rather than serving yourself a heap.
Where to try it
- Banchan with soup-and-rice (국밥) restaurants
- Traditional markets and kimchi shops
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