Kimchi

깍두기 Kkakdugi

Cubes of radish fermented with chili flakes, garlic and salted shrimp, served as a side dish with soups.

Diced Radish Kimchi
Spice: Mild
Contains seafood

Kkakdugi cubes in a small side dish, seen from above — AI-generated image

At a glance

Fact	Details
Main ingredients	Korean radish, chili flakes, garlic, ginger, salted shrimp
How it's served	Red cubes in a small dish, set out cold; soup restaurants often keep a jar on the table
Spice level	Mild — A little warmth. Fine for most people.
Diet	Contains seafood — Fish, shellfish, fish sauce, salted seafood (jeotgal) or anchovy stock is a standard ingredient.
Allergens	Fish · Crustacean shellfish
Ask about	The paste may be thickened with wheat flour; some versions add oysters.
On the menu	깍두기 (Kkakdugi)
Also called	kakdugi · ggakdugi · kkaktugi · cubed radish kimchi
Region	Nationwide

Based on the usual recipe. Restaurants vary, so always tell the staff.

How to eat Diced Radish Kimchi

Take a cube with chopsticks
Kkakdugi comes in a small dish for the table to share. Pick up one cube at a time.
Pair it with soup and rice
It is a common side for beef bone soups and rice soups. Some people stir a little of its juice into the soup.
Ask for a refill
Side dishes are often refilled for free. At some soup restaurants, you serve yourself from the jar on the table.

On the table

Order it as 깍두기. You rarely need to: it usually comes free as a side dish with a meal, and you can ask for more.

On the menu: 깍두기
Usually sold: Included with a meal, as a side dish

Where it comes from

In the royal court, it was called songsong. One account says it was first made and offered to the king under King Jeongjo. The earliest cookbook to describe it, under the name jeotmu, is thought to date from the late 1800s.

Sources: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (encykorea.aks.ac.kr)