Korean fried chicken side

Chicken Mu 치킨무

Mu (무) is Korean radish. Cut it into cubes, pickle it overnight in a sweet and tangy brine, and serve it cold next to fried chicken.

Chicken Mu is usually translated as “Pickled Radish” in English, and you can easily find it at Korean fried chicken restaurants. People eat it alongside fried chicken, which is where the name comes from: chicken + mu (radish).

  • Makes ½ Korean radish
  • Chill Overnight
  • Container Glass or stainless

The brine

Measured by volume, so any cup works. The classic ratio is 2 : 1 : 1 of water, sugar and vinegar. This version uses 90% of the sugar and vinegar, which keeps it from tasting too sharp.

1
Water2
1
Sugar0.9
1
Vinegar0.9

Numbers are parts by volume. The dashed line marks 1 part, the classic amount.

Ingredients

Metric first, US cups beside it. You do not need a Pyrex measuring cup. Any measuring cup works.

Ingredients for Chicken Mu
IngredientAmountAlso
Korean radish (mu)Cut into bite-size cubes. Daikon (the Japanese word for radish) can stand in. ½ radish about 500–700 g (1–1.5 lb)
Water 400 ml 1⅔ cups
Sugar90% of the classic amount 180 ml ¾ cup, about 150 g
White vinegarHeinz White Vinegar is recommended. 180 ml ¾ cup
Salt 2 pinches –
New Sugar optionalKorean sweetener, mostly glucose with a little saccharin.We use Ottogi New Sugar (뉴슈가). Look for it or a similar product at Korean grocery stores.Hanyang Mart product page ↗ 2 pinches –
Pickling spice optionalWe use McCormick Mixed Pickling Spice. Add as much or as little as you like, or skip it.Contains cinnamon, allspice, mustard seed, coriander, bay leaves, ginger, clove, red pepper, black pepper, cardamom, mace and a sulfiting agent.McCormick product page ↗ 1 spoon –

Good to know

Pick the right vinegar

Heinz White Vinegar works best here. Apple cider vinegar (애사비) is not recommended.

UseHeinz White Vinegar
SkipApple cider vinegar

No New Sugar?

Add more sugar instead. The sweetness will taste a little different, and that is the only trade-off. Use the full 1 part of sugar (200 ml, about ¾ cup + 2 tbsp) and leave the New Sugar out.

What is New Sugar?

New Sugar (뉴슈가) is a Korean sweetener made mostly of glucose with a small amount of sodium saccharin. It is sweeter than sugar, which is why this recipe only needs 2 pinches. We use Ottogi New Sugar, and you can find it or similar products at Korean grocery stores. Brands vary in how much saccharin they use, and the pickle works without it.

No measuring cup?

Use any cup or jar as one unit and use the same one for all three. Fill it twice with water, then fill it just under the top for the sugar and again for the vinegar. If you have no New Sugar, fill the sugar cup to the top.

Method

  1. 1Cut the radish

    Cut ½ Korean radish into bite-size cubes and put them in a heat-safe glass or stainless steel container with a lid.

    The hot brine goes straight in, so skip thin plastic.

  2. 2Boil the brine

    In a pot, combine the water, sugar, vinegar, salt and New Sugar if you are using it. Add pickling spice if you like (1 spoon, or more or less to taste). Heat until the sugar has dissolved.

  3. 3Pour it over

    Pour the hot brine over the radish cubes in the container.

  4. 4Cool, cover, chill

    Let the steam clear and the container cool down for a while, then put the lid on and refrigerate overnight.

    Serve cold the next day with fried chicken.