Chonggak kimchi

Step 1: Trim any yellow leaves and the hairy root tips from 4 ⅜ lb ponytail radishes (chonggak mu). Scrub the radishes clean with a brush, paying attention to the soil where the leaves join. Halve any larger than a small egg lengthways.

Step 2: Sprinkle with 4 oz coarse sea salt and toss gently. Leave for 1–1½ hours, turning every 30 minutes, until the stems bend without snapping.

Step 3: Rinse 3 times in cold water to remove the salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Whisk 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour into 1 cup kelp stock in a small pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until it thickens into a thin glue. Let it cool completely.

Step 5: Stir 2 ⅛ oz gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) into the cooled porridge, then add 8 cloves garlic, ½ oz fresh ginger, ½ Asian pear, ½ onion, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Taste: it should be slightly saltier than you'd want to eat. Stir in 4 spring onions.

Step 6: Wearing gloves, rub the paste all over each radish and its leaves. Fold the leaves round the radish into little bundles.

Step 7: Pack tightly into a clean jar, press down hard to remove air pockets and leave 3 cm of headspace. Swish a little water round the bowl and pour that over the top.

Step 8: Leave at cool room temperature for 1–2 days until it smells sour and bubbles appear, then refrigerate. It is good after 1 week and best after 2–3 weeks; keeps for 2 months.