Baek Jong-won’s Style Sweet and Sour Radish Salad (Mu Saengchae)
Baek Jong-won’s Style Sweet and Sour Radish Salad (Mu Saengchae)
Baek Jong-won’s Mu Saengchae Recipe: Perfectly Balanced Sweet and Tangy Flavors!
Radishes have been tasting exceptionally good lately. Although it’s still around 30°C (86°F) during the day here in Dubai, the temperature soars to nearly 50°C (122°F) in midsummer, making this cool weather truly enhance the radish’s flavor. Thanks to this, I’ll be making a delicious radish salad with fresh, tasty radishes!
Main Ingredients- 600g radish (about 1/3 medium radish)
Seasoning Ingredients- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 tsp salt (5ml)
- 100ml vinegar (approx. 2/3 of a paper cup)
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 tsp salt (5ml)
- 100ml vinegar (approx. 2/3 of a paper cup)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare 600g of radish. The root part of the radish has a stronger spicy flavor and is good for making soups, while the stem part, which receives the most sunlight, is sweeter and perfect for radish salad. Wash the radish thoroughly, peel it, and then julienne it thinly. Aim for a consistent thickness of about 3-5mm for the best texture.
Step 2
Place all the julienned radish into a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar first; this helps the sugar penetrate the radish and starts drawing out its moisture, making it tender. Allowing the sugar to mix in early also aids in softening the radish.
Step 3
Add 1 tablespoon of fine gochugaru, which will give the radish salad its spicy kick. Using fine gochugaru results in a beautiful color and helps the seasoning adhere well to the radish, making it taste even better. If you don’t have fine gochugaru, you can sift coarse gochugaru or briefly pulse it in a blender.
Step 4
Add 1 teaspoon (5ml) of salt to season. Salt helps to draw out moisture from the radish through osmosis and adds umami. It’s better to add salt gradually rather than all at once, along with other seasonings, and then adjust the taste later.
Step 5
Now, add 100ml of vinegar, the key to the tangy flavor. This is roughly 2/3 of a standard paper cup. However, it’s important to adjust the amount of vinegar to your preference. Start with the amount specified in the recipe, mix everything well, and then taste. Add more vinegar little by little if you prefer a tangier salad. If you love a sour taste, feel free to add a bit more.
Step 6
Gently mix and toss everything together until the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the radish. Be careful not to mash the radish while mixing. This recipe is incredibly simple, but the result is a fresh and delicious Baek Jong-won style radish salad that tastes like it’s bursting with sunshine! You can enjoy it immediately, or chill it in the refrigerator for a while for an even better flavor.
