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Ssam-mu
쌈무: paper-thin rounds of radish in sweet vinegar, cool, pliable and ready to wrap hot grilled meat or mushrooms
Ssam-mu is what you find in a little dish at every Korean barbecue restaurant, from Seoul's pork-belly alleys to suburban galbi houses: translucent discs of radish, sweet and sharp, to fold around a piece of hot meat with a dab of ssamjang. At home it is a year-round fridge staple, especially in winter when Korean radish (mu) is at its sweetest, and it is just as good wrapped around grilled king oyster mushrooms or tofu. Each round is cool, crisp at the edge and pliable enough to fold without breaking, with a clean sweet-sour taste that cuts through rich, smoky food. The vinegar must be at least 5% acidity, and the brine should be no weaker than 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar. The common mistake is slicing too thick: over 1.5 mm the rounds crack when you fold them, so use a mandoline set to 1 mm. It is ready when the slices are translucent, bend easily and taste sweet-sour right through, after about a day. Daikon works if you cannot find Korean radish; choose a fat one. Chef's tip: add a slice of raw beetroot for pink rounds, or a pinch of turmeric for the yellow ones in Korean shops.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb Korean radish (mu)or a fat daikon, at least 7 cm across
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ¾ cup white vinegarat least 5% acidity
- 4 oz sugar
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 slice raw beetroot (optional)for pink colour
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Clean the jar or container and lid: wash in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes (or pour boiling water over and in it and air-dry upside down). Let it cool; it must be completely dry.
Step 2: Bring the 1 ¼ cups water, ¾ cup white vinegar, 4 oz sugar and 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt to a boil in a small pan over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Cool completely.
5 minStep 3: Peel the 1 ⅓ lb Korean radish (mu) and, if it is wider than your mandoline, trim it into a cylinder. Slice into 1 mm rounds (square sheets are fine too); they should be thin enough to see light through.
15 minStep 4: Stack the slices in the clean jar, tucking in the 1 slice raw beetroot if using, and pour over the cold brine so everything is covered. Press down and close.
Step 5: Refrigerate for at least 1 day, until the slices are translucent and bend without cracking. Keeps 3 weeks in the fridge, submerged; take slices out with clean chopsticks. Throw away if the brine turns cloudy or fizzy, or you see mould or smell anything off.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 65 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ssam-mu take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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