Ggakdugi
Encyclopedia
Kkakdugi is a variety of kimchi
in Korean cuisine. Usually, it has all the ingredients of kimchi, but the baechu
(hangul
: 배추; Napa cabbage
) used for kimchi is substituted with Korean white radish (called mu, 무 in Korean). Kkakdugi is a popular banchan
(side dish) enjoyed by Koreans and other consumers.
named Joseon yorihak (조선요리학 朝鮮料理學, literally "Korean Gastronomy") written by Hong Seon-pyo (홍선표) in 1940. According to the book, kkakdugi was created by Princess Sukseon (숙선옹주 淑善翁主), a daughter of King Jeongjo
(r. 1776-1800) and the wife of Hong Hyeon-ju (홍현주 洪 顯周), a high-ranking government officer titled as Yeongmyeongwi (영명위 永明慰). When a matter for congratulation happened to the royal court, members of the royal family gathered to have a feast, and the princess presented a new dish made with diced radish to the king. He highly praised it and asked her about the dish's name. She replied that the dish did not have a name because she had accidentally made it, but found that it tasted good, so she brought in the new dish to the court. The king replied that the dish would be named kkakdugi because cutting food into cubes is called ggakduk sseolgi (깍둑썰기) in Korean
. At that time, kkakdugi was called gakdokgi (각독기 刻毒氣) and then became spread over commoners.
powder, spring onions, and ginger.
The radish and the other ingredients are mixed together and then traditionally stored in a jangdok (hangul
: 장독) or onggi
(hangul
: 옹기, hanja
: 甕器), both names which refer to a large earthenware
pot. Fermentation
takes about two weeks in a cool, and dry place.
Kkakdugi is served cold and is usually consumed when the radish is crisp. This is before the radish becomes soft. Kkakdugi, along with other types of kimchi, is a popular dish in Korea
and is believed to share many of the health benefits of kimchi, due to the fermentation process.
(beef soup), galbitang
(galbi
, or beef rib soup), samgyetang
(ginseng
chicken soup) are considered "good friends" for kkakdugi.
The taste of the kkakdugi overpowers the taste of stew itself and gets rid of the distinctive smell of the stew. Additionally, radish is very good for digestion. When eating meat in stew, kkakdugi is believed to aid in digestion.
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
in Korean cuisine. Usually, it has all the ingredients of kimchi, but the baechu
Chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage can refer to two distinct varieties of Chinese leaf vegetables used often in Chinese cuisine. These vegetables are both related to the Western cabbage, and are of the same species as the common turnip...
(hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 배추; Napa cabbage
Napa cabbage
Napa cabbage , also known as celery cabbage, is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China, and is widely used in East Asian cuisine. In much of the world, this is the vegetable referred to as "Chinese cabbage"...
) used for kimchi is substituted with Korean white radish (called mu, 무 in Korean). Kkakdugi is a popular banchan
Banchan
Banchan refers to small dishes of food served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. This word is used both in the singular and plural....
(side dish) enjoyed by Koreans and other consumers.
Origin
The origin of kkakdugi is mentioned in a cookbookCookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
named Joseon yorihak (조선요리학 朝鮮料理學, literally "Korean Gastronomy") written by Hong Seon-pyo (홍선표) in 1940. According to the book, kkakdugi was created by Princess Sukseon (숙선옹주 淑善翁主), a daughter of King Jeongjo
Jeongjo of Joseon
King Jeongjo was the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He made various attempts to reform and improve the nation of Joseon. He was preceded by his grandfather King Yeongjo and succeeded by his son King Sunjo...
(r. 1776-1800) and the wife of Hong Hyeon-ju (홍현주 洪 顯周), a high-ranking government officer titled as Yeongmyeongwi (영명위 永明慰). When a matter for congratulation happened to the royal court, members of the royal family gathered to have a feast, and the princess presented a new dish made with diced radish to the king. He highly praised it and asked her about the dish's name. She replied that the dish did not have a name because she had accidentally made it, but found that it tasted good, so she brought in the new dish to the court. The king replied that the dish would be named kkakdugi because cutting food into cubes is called ggakduk sseolgi (깍둑썰기) in Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
. At that time, kkakdugi was called gakdokgi (각독기 刻毒氣) and then became spread over commoners.
Preparation
Kkakdugi consists of radish cut into small cubes. The radish is flavored with salt, red chili pepperChili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
powder, spring onions, and ginger.
The radish and the other ingredients are mixed together and then traditionally stored in a jangdok (hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 장독) or onggi
Onggi
Onggi are Korean ethnic earthenware, which were extensively used as tableware as well as storage containers in Korea. It includes both unglazed earthenware fired near 600~700°C and pottery with a dark brown glaze that burnt over 1100°C....
(hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 옹기, hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 甕器), both names which refer to a large earthenware
Earthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
pot. Fermentation
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
takes about two weeks in a cool, and dry place.
Kkakdugi is served cold and is usually consumed when the radish is crisp. This is before the radish becomes soft. Kkakdugi, along with other types of kimchi, is a popular dish in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and is believed to share many of the health benefits of kimchi, due to the fermentation process.
Varieties
There are several main types of kkakdugi, which are all fairly similar in their ingredients and preparation:- Regular kkakdugi
- Gul kkakdugi (굴깍두기) is a variety of kkakdugi that is flavored with whole raw oysterOysterThe word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s. It is made especially in winter around Korean New YearKorean New YearKorean New Year, commonly known as Seollal , is the first day of the lunar calendar. It is the most important of the traditional Korean holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year's Day. Koreans also celebrate solar New Year's Day on January 1 each year, following the...
. SaeujeotSaeujeotSaeujeot is a variety of jeotgal, salted and fermented food made with small shrimp in Korean cuisine. It is the most consumed jeotgal along with myeolchijeot in South Korea. The name consists of the two Korean words, saeu and jeot...
(salted preserved shrimp) and water dropwortWater dropwortThe water dropworts, Oenanthe , are a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae. Most of the species grow in damp ground, in marshes or in water....
leaves, along with other spices, are used for making this. Because of its use of oysters, its shelf life is comparatively shorter compared to other types of kkakdugi. It is most often consumed in Jeju Island and SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. - Gegeolmu kkakdugi (게걸무깍두기) is made with gegeolmu (gegeol radish), a local specialty of the Yeoju region.
- Myeongtae seodeori kkakdugi (명태서더리깍두기) is made with the gills of Alaska pollack. Meongtae refers to the fish and seodeori means the offal of fish in Korean.
- Suk kkakdugi (숙깍두기) is made with boiled radish after diced, so it is good for old people.
- Musongsongi (무송송이) is kkakdugi to once have consumed in royal court whose name derives from the adverb, songsong (송송) because of radish for it being chopped small and diced.
Seolleongtang
Korean soups such as seolleongtangSeolleongtang
Seolleongtang or Sul Lung Tang is a Korean broth soup made from ox bones , brisket and other cuts. Seasoning is generally done at the table according to personal taste by adding salt, ground black pepper, red pepper, minced garlic, or chopped spring onions...
(beef soup), galbitang
Galbitang
Galbitang is a variety of guk, or Korean soup, made primarily from beef short ribs along with stewing beef, daikon, onions, and other ingredients. The short ribs, or "galbi" also refers to grilled short ribs in Korean barbecue while the suffix tang is another name for guk...
(galbi
Galbi
Galbi or kalbi generally refers to a variety of gui or grilled dishes in Korean cuisine that is made with marinated beef short ribs in a ganjang-based sauce . In the Korean language, galbi literally means "rib" and can often indicate uncooked ribs...
, or beef rib soup), samgyetang
Samgyetang
Samgyetang is a variety of guk or Korean soup, which primarily consists of a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng. The dish's name literally translates as "ginseng chicken soup" in English...
(ginseng
Ginseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
chicken soup) are considered "good friends" for kkakdugi.
The taste of the kkakdugi overpowers the taste of stew itself and gets rid of the distinctive smell of the stew. Additionally, radish is very good for digestion. When eating meat in stew, kkakdugi is believed to aid in digestion.