08/26/2026
Food 411: Oi Kimchi
Chef Ryan here.
Sydney Latham you asked for it, you got it!
Here's the recipe for one of my favorite Korean banchan (side dish), Oi (cucumber) kimchi. This is a perfect example of what we call a 'rice thief' dish because it makes you eat more and more rice! It's refreshing, crisp, spicy and great on it's own but even better with a steak, fried chicken, rice bowls, or even on a sandwich.
It can be eaten right away but for me, it's even better the next day.
Ingredients:
450 g English cucumber, thinly sliced OR cut into 1.5" sections and quartered
15 g Kosher salt
30 g Scallions (about 1 bunch), whites thinly sliced, greens cut into 1" long sections
30 g Carrots, julienned roughly 1" long
2 large garlic cloves, grated is better but minced finely also works
18–24 g gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) I usually do about 2-3 large spoons but I prefer it spicy!
15 g Soy sauce
15 g Rice vinegar
A couple drops of Toasted sesame oil
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Optional: For a sweeter bite, add 1 tbsp of sugar or honey at a time until the desired taste is reached. For a spicier kick and more crunch, add some fresno, jalapeno, or serrano peppers, sliced on the bias.
Directions
1. Toss cucumbers and carrots with the salt and let sit for 20–30 minutes to draw out moisture. Drain well; do not rinse unless the cucumbers taste overly salty. They're ready when the cucumbers are bendy but still have a good crunch.
2. Combine green onions, garlic, gochugaru, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sweetener (if using) to form a paste. It's okay if there's still some dry gochugaru.
3, Add cucumbers and carrots, toss thoroughly until coated.
4. Finish with sesame seeds and refrigerate at least 10 minutes before serving.
If you try this out, post a picture in the comments and let us know what you'd like to see next.
Masitge deuseyo! (Eat well!) P.S. Thanks Mike Graybeal The Gray Mill for the cucumbers!