Quick Cucumber Kimchi

In Korea, kimchi is a banchan (side dish) of salted, fermented vegetables that's served with nearly every meal. There are innumerable kinds made with all sorts of vegetables and seasonings; in fact, kimchi is such an important staple of the Korean diet that many Korean households own a separate kimchi refrigerator to properly store it and control the fermenting process. Kimchi refrigerators run colder and are more humid than standard refrigerators, with less moving air and more consistent temperature regulation.

Fortunately for those of us who don't have access to a kimchi refrigerator, this tasty summer recipe doesn't require a long fermentation; instead, it necessitates just two hours of marination time at room temperature. There are at least a couple different types of cucumber kimchi: For oi-sobagi, or stuffed cucumber kimchi, the cucumbers are cut lengthwise into four sections, but left intact at one end. The cucumbers are brined, then the remaining ingredients are mixed together and used as a filling that's stuffed between the cucumber spears.

For this quick version — oi kimchi — the cucumbers are sliced into quarter-inch-thick half-moons rather than spears. Instead of submerging them in brine, we simply salt the cucumbers and let them stand for 20 minutes before giving them a rinse. From there, the cucumbers are drained and tossed with the remaining ingredients. They're left at room temperature for a couple of hours to absorb the flavors, then they're ready to eat.

What type of cucumber is best for kimchi?

Bill Kim uses Kirby cucumbers here, the short, bumpy variety that's a common choice for commercial jarred pickles (and sometimes called "pickling" cucumbers for this reason). Kirbys work well for preparations like this because of their thin skin, crunchy flesh, and inconspicuous seeds, all of which mean they require minimal prep. Persian cucumbers are another good option, as are longer English cucumbers.

Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The advantage of making kimchi with cut-up cucumbers is that it comes together faster than the stuffed style. However, given all the extra surface area, this kimchi does not last as long because the cucumber begins to break down faster. Our recipe yields 2 1/2 cups, an amount that's easy to eat before the cucumbers soften too much.