Danmuji: Korean Pickles
Danmuji is best recognized as the BFF of Jjajangmyun, its fluorescent neon yellow complements (?) the black noodles nicely (?). Haha, terrible jokes aside, Danmuji used to be my absolute favourite banchan 반찬 (side dish).
Danmuji is Korean yellow pickles made of radishes.
However, being best friends with Jjangmyun 짜장면, it also mainly hangs out with other Bunshik 분식 snack-type foods like Tteokbokk 떡볶이 and Gimbap 김밥. As such, it doesn’t usually make an appearance on the daily Korean kitchen table.
Maybe it was the lack of opportunity to eat it or more likely it was the high-sugar content, but I was obsessed with them. Like, I would eat far too many of them. Now I know why. They’re mostly sugar. Like OPPA tells me, there’s no way radish can taste that good otherwise.
Also, I realized through my mother-in-law (who makes soy sauce from scratch) that Danmuji is a highly processed food. I realized this because she never buys it.
So like any normal person, I searched for a way to have it all. How can I still enjoy Danmuji, my delicious pickle loaded with sugar and preservatives, but feel less guilty?
How to Make Danmuji aka Korean Yellow Pickles
What You Need: Water, Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Peppercorns, Turmeric, Bay Leaf (optional).
What to Do:
Eyeball roughly equal amounts water, vinegar and sugar (this liquid should be enough to fully submerge all the radish).
Add a generous spoonful of salt.
Add a little (like a teaspoon?) peppercorn and turmeric and pop in the bay leaf.
Heat it up and bring it to a boil, stirring to dissolve everything.
Cool it down*.
Cut the radish to half or quarter moon shapes. Or sticks. Or whatever inspires you. Cut them into long sticks if you’re making Gimbap.
Pour in the pickle juice you cooled down* until push all the radish fully under liquid.
Leave it out on the counter for a few days and enjoy**!
* The recipe I very loosely referred to said to pour in hot liquid directly, but I prefer ultimate crunchiness so I prefer to cool it down.
** I think you can technically eat it after a few hours, but personally I leave it for a couple of days.
How long does it last, you may ask? Which is a very legitimate question but it’s never lasted long enough for me to find out. I would think it’s safe for a week, pretty safe for 2 weeks and use your judgement after that?
Because to make a true pickle, I think you have to get the salt content right to preserve it properly. And you (should) know I laugh at the face of “properly”. Ha! I don’t know.
I did find this recipe to be quite tangy (overly vinegar-y) but I like that, so it was okay. But you can reduce the amount of vinegar or add more sugar. Cooking’s so improv- which makes it fun! Or terrifying!
Terrifyingly fun! Whee!
What to Eat with Danmuji
Jjajangmyun 짜장면 : Korean Black Noodles
Tteokbokki 떡볶이: Spicy Rice Cakes
Gimbap 김밥: Korean Rice Burrito
Ramyun 라면: Korean Instant Noodles.
But don’t let people tell you how to eat. You’ll find it pairs well with most Korean foods with a spicy sauce.
I don’t know how the amount of sugar acts as a detriment to the health benefits of radish as a vegetable but here goes.
Health Benefits of Korean (Asian) Radish 무
Contains Diastase and Amylase (digestive enzymes).
High in Fibre and Vitamin C.
Cruciferous Vegetable and in Mustard family (contains Sinigreen).
Rich in Glucosinolates.
Isothiocyanate, has it.
All this adds to may aid digestion, help when you have a cold, contain anti-aging, anti-cancer, fat-burning superfood capabilities.
Help Me Pronounce It!
무 = Moo (Yeah, like what does a cow say)
A final note is that although its bright, fluorescent yellow has become a familiar sight, it’s completely unnecessary and doesn’t alter the flavour. The unfortunate story is that yellow dye was originally used to disguise any imperfections in the vegetable.
I added turmeric as a natural dye to improve on the chemical dye commercial products use. However, this is completely optional. I’m thinking of using beet juice next time to make pink Danmuji 🤭.
We made a video of the process, keep in mind this is a quick & dirty pickling DIY. Maangchi does it the legit way, you just gotta wait a month.
