Korean pickled radish slices (ssam mu)

These Korean pickled radish slices are quick and easy to make and have a great crunch and tangy flavor. Perfect to pair with Korean BBQ and more.

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It's funny that despite our move a couple years ago being only a mile, it has changed the restaurants we might typically go to. Some remain, like our go-to taco and special occasion choices. But others are all about proximity, and that now includes a Korean BBQ restaurant which is a big favorite of the kids.

I've already shared a few favorite Korean dishes here before like vegetarian bibimbap and hoedeopbap, sashimi rice bowl. But since the kids are back into BBQ, I've been making more banchan (sides) to pair with beef bulgogi, galbi and other mains at home, too.

My youngest and us adults really enjoy pickled vegetables, so this pickled radish was an obvious choice for us to make. Being slices, they pickle relatively quickly so it's a great option that doesn't require days planning ahead. Yet the slices are still packed with a great crunch and sweet-sour flavor.

As an added bonus, other than potentially the radish itself, all of the ingredients are really easy to find. In fact you may well have at home already.

What type of radish should you use?

This dish is typically made with Korean radish. It's relatively large, mainly white with a slight more green skin at the stem end. It's relatively common in Asian supermarkets, and definitely in Korean ones like Hmart where I can get it.

If you can't find Korean radish, though, daikon radish is pretty similar and also works well. It, too, is a large radish but it tends to be straighter rather than a bit rounded, as Korean radish is, and all white.

I have found daikon at my regular supermarket, too, so it's definitely more widely available. It's used in many other cuisines too, such as Vietnamese where it's a core part of đồ chua, quick pickled radish and carrot used in bánh mì, to garnish rice bowls and more.

Pickling and fermenting in Korean cuisine

Most people are aware of kimchi these days as a core part of Korean cuisine, but it is far from the only fermented/pickled dish you'l find.

Korea has a strong tradition of banchan, small side dishes, which date back over 2000 years to the Three Kingdoms Period. During that time, the state adopted Buddhism and with it vegetarianism. Both the court kitchens and commoners developed different ways to cook and serve vegetables. Fermenting was particularly popular as a way of preserving, alongside some pickling.

Over time, the methods to make different banchan developed. By the Joseon Dynasty starting in the 14th century, it became a sign of status how many dishes you had on the table. And even today, more dishes tends to indicate a more formal meal.

types of pickled radish & making these

You'll find more than one way to pickle radishes. Danmuji is a bright yellow daikon pickle, where you pickle them whole then cut into strips. These are then used in gimbap (rice rolls) or as a side. Chicken-mu cuts the radishes into cubes and you snack on them alongside fried chicken. And finally this dish, ssam mu, cuts the radish in thin slices.

These Korean pickled radish slices, ssam mu, are wonderfully easy to make, with the hardest part being slicing the radish. If you have a mandolin, this is definitely the easiest method, though make sure you use a cut resistant glove to be safe. If not, you can cut them by hand, just use a thin sharp knife to try to get as evenly thin as possible.

For the brine, you simply warm the water, vinegar, salt and sugar until the solids dissolve, not any longer. Use a clean, sealable jar to place the radish slices in then pour the brine over the top. Let it cool, then refrigerate until needed.

These radish slices only need about an hour to pickle in the fridge, then they are ready to use, so you don't need lots of advance planning. Though some argue they are better the next day, so you certainly can make ahead. They also keep for around two weeks, gradually getting more pickled over time.

How to serve Pickled Korean radish slices

These pickles can be used in a couple different ways. The name "ssam mu" translates as radish ("mu") wrap ("ssam") and one way to serve them is as a wrapper for various Korean BBQ meats - simply place some meat on a slice of the pickled radish and add in a touch of sauce then enjoy. The pickle crunch and tanginess cuts through the richness of the meat.

The other way is as one of a range of side dishes with either Korean BBQ or other meals of your choice, such as simply with rice. We really like making lettuce wraps with beef bulgogi, some kimchi, these pickles and any other vegetable banchan I've made, like bean sprouts.

These Korean pickled radish slices, ssam mu, are easy to make, and only need a short pickle time, then you can dive in and enjoy their tasty crunch and tang. Great with Korean BBQ, for snacking and more, they're a pickle well worth getting to know.

Try these other pickles from around the world:

• Swedish pickled beets, great as part of a tray of cold cuts and more.
• Acar timun, Indonesian pickled cucumber, great with fried rice and meat dishes.
• Brinjal pickle, a different style which is more of a chutney using eggplant/aubergine, it's great alongside various Indian dishes.
• Plus get more Korean recipes and condiment recipes in the archives.

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