Moochae – Easy Kimchi Alternative

Moochae, the spicy, refreshing and EASY alternative to kimchi, can be whipped up in just a few minutes. 

If you love Korean barbecue as much as I do, I’m sure you’ve had moochae a bunch of times.  The famed radish salad is an essential part of the Korean barbecue experience, providing refreshing pops of freshness between those bites of sweet, salty barbecued meat. 

Moochae is often referred to as a “cheat kimchi” since the two taste so similar and since moochae is much easier to make.  While kimchi needs days to weeks to ferment, moochae can be ready in just minutes.

What is moochae?

Moochae is a popular Korean side dish made by adding shredded radish (this recipe uses daikon) to a mixture of gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, salt, and sesame oil.

While the recipe is so easy to make, it has a nicely complex flavor.  The radish provides a fresh crunch which contrasts against the spicy, savory flavors of gochugaru and fish sauce.

How to make this easy kimchi alternative

1. Prepare the daikon and scallion.  Peel the daikon with a vegetable peeler and then cut it lengthwise into thin slices.  Then cut the thin slices into matchsticks.  Chop the scallions into thin rounds.
2. Make the sauce.  Mix the gochugaru, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil and salt in a small bowl.
3. Combine.  Combine the daikon, scallions, and sauce in a bowl.  Massage the sauce into the daikon.
4. Rest in the fridge.  Rest the daikon for around 30 minutes in the fridge to let it absorb all that flavor.

Tips for making moochae

1. Use gloves while mixing the radish and sauce.  I personally don’t use gloves when I mix spicy ingredients.  But I know that others have found that the spice may remain on their hands and could later burn their eyes.  So, if this kind of thing bugs you, use gloves or just a spatula to do the mixing.
2. Give it a good massage.  Gently massaging the sauce into the radish allows the flavors to really dig in.  It also improves the texture of the end dish, resulting in more flexible, bendable pieces of radish.
3. Stir it once or twice while it’s in the fridge.  While resting in the fridge, the amazing sauce will fill the bottom of the bowl.  Stir your moochae once or twice while it’s resting, to evenly distribute the sauce across all your radish.

Daikon vs. Korean radish

Daikon and Korean radishes are quite similar, and can easily be substituted for each other in almost any recipe.  So feel free to use whichever you can find for this recipe.

Since moochae is of course a Korean dish, the Korean radish would be more traditional.  But both daikon or Korean radishes taste excellent in moochae.  We’ll use daikon in this recipe, since it’s what I had on hand and since it’s more readily available in the United States.  

How are the two radishes different?

Taste.  Korean radishes are slightly more peppery than daikon, and daikon are a bit more sweet.

Texture.  Korean radishes are more crunchy than daikon.

How to serve moochae

Since Moochae has a strong, spicy flavor of its own, it’s best served alongside other spicy or meaty dishes.

Main course.  Try moochae with a Rose Tteokbokke, a Korean Army Stew, or this Hawaiian style Meat Jun.  The radish provides a great contrasting freshness alongside these meaty dishes.

Rice.  Round out your meal with some rice.

Beer.  Beer and Korean food is an epic combination, and always makes for a good night 🙂 

You can also incorporate moochae into other Korean-inspired dishes. For example, try adding moochae on top of these kimchi fries.