A Beer with Brad: Tasty Tuesday!

Cucumber Kimchi (Oi-Sobagi)

I'll be the first to admit that this week's Tasty Tuesday post may not be for everyone. I bring to you cucumber kimchi or in Korean, "oi-sobagi". If you aren't familiar with kimchi, it is the national dish of both Koreas and as much as a daily staple as rice. There are many different varieties (it is mostly made using cabbage) but they all have the same basic ingredients or red pepper, onion, and sometimes carrots. It can be extremely spicy or mild depending on your preference. I often hear from non-kimchi eaters that the vegetables in kimchi are rotten. This is a misconception but the mixture is slightly fermented much the same way pickles are slightly fermented. This fermentation allows the kimchi to be naturally preserved. I still choose to refrigerate mine but some people think it is unnecessary since kimchi was invented thousands of years before refrigeration (nearly 3000 thousand years before).

There are two reasons I decided to make kimchi and share it with you this week. The first reason is that I have been overwhelmed with cucumbers from my own garden and the Towson University Urban Farm and needed to find something to do with them. Cucumber kimchi is my favorite type of kimchi so I decided to make some. The second reason is because of my own Korean heritage. My grandmother came to the United States in the early 1960's from South Korea and later became an American citizen. At the time, it was in my grandmother's best interest to assimilate into American culture and become part of the melting pot. She dealt with racism and xenophobia and made the decision to bring up her children (my mother, aunts, and uncles) as Americans, not as Koreans. However because of this I never really learned much of my Korean ancestry and basically know nothing of my family before the arrival of my grandmother in the U.S. I don't blame anyone for this cultural loss. I probably would have decided to assimilate into American culture too under the same circumstances. But, I have been trying to reconnect with my Korean roots for a few years now. Learning the cuisine of Korea has been one small part of this learning process. I might share more Korean recipes later down the road but for the time being, give this a try. If you don't like it, that's fine. If you do, then great! Go out and learn about other culture's food while you are at it. Enjoy.

6 fairly large cucumbers
1 carrot (shredded)
3 green onions chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
1/4 to 1/3 of a yellow onion (finely chopped)
2-3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 cup of fish sauce or soy sauce (I used soy sauce)
1/4 cup of hot pepper flakes
3 tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar

*note: The hot pepper flakes may not be the hot pepper flakes that you normally think of. This is hot pepper flakes used specifically for making kimchi. They can be found easily in any Asian food store. I would not substitute these hot pepper flakes for any variety you find in a regular grocery store as they are much more spicy. You want to be able to enjoy the kimchi not have it blister your tongue!!!

Wash cucumbers, cut each one in half, and then cut 4 slits into each half to create a pocket (see picture). Don't cut them all the way through and leave about 1/4 inch intact at the bottom.
In a large bowl salt the cucumbers, mix, and let stand for about 45 minutes. This will draw moisture out of the cucumbers and allow them to become more malleable. This may look like a lot of salt but you will be washing it off later.
In a separate bowl, mix the fish sauce (or soy sauce), 1/2 cup of hot pepper flakes, the garlic, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. A fork works great for this.
Add the onions and carrots to the paste and mix.
After 45 minutes wash the cucumbers thoroughly and stuff the mixture into the cucumber pockets. You may want to use rubber gloves for this.
Place the stuffed cucumbers into a tight sealing container and you can then place it directly into the refrigerator or allow it to sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
At the end of the 24 hours you will find liquid created from the cucumbers at the bottom of your container. This liquid acts as a preservative so do not discard it.