Yeolmu-kimchi^[1] (열무김치) or young summer radish kimchi^[1] is one of the many types of kimchi, a popular banchan (Korean: 반찬, Korean side dish). Although the yeolmu (young summer radish) has a small and thin taproot that does not have much use, its thick and abundant green leaves are constantly used throughout spring and summer to make yeolmu-kimchi. Yeolmu-kimchi is popular in the summer and is often eaten with cold noodles.^[2]

Preparation

For preparation, all the withered and rugged leaves are removed from the yeolmu. The roots remain uncut but the ends are trimmed. With a knife, the thick roots are gently scraped and all the soil is removed from the young radish. It is then sprinkled with salt water. Cut the green onions diagonally, and mash some garlic and ginger. Slice the red pepper into mall bits.^[3]

For the immersion process, the yeolmu is slightly washed and cut into pieces convenient for eating. Afterward, the red pepper, the mashed garlic, the ginger, the green onions and shrimp sauce are mixed together with the young radish. At the end, a small amount of salt water is added to the mixture.^[3]

Health

Due to the softness and flavor of the leaves, they are the primary ingredients in many foods instead of its roots (the white radish). The leaves are alkaline in nature and are rich in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and low in calories. When picking out yeolmu, young, small and thin ones are recommended over the aged yeolmu, which tend to be thicker. It is recommended that yeolmu be eaten as soon as possible due to the fact that it withers quickly. Any leftovers are to be stored in the refrigerator.^[4]

Popularity

On January 30, 2013, yeolmu-kimchi was voted as the people's favourite type of kimchi (excluding napa cabbage kimchi, which is the most commonly eaten type of kimchi) in an online poll. In the poll, which involved a total of 3,532 bloggers, yeolmu-kimchi received 875 (24.8%) votes. Dongchimi came second with 13.9% of the votes.^[6]