Taiwanese Pickled Radish

There is a very small subset of superhumans that appreciate the pungent dining experience that is Taiwanese stinky tofu, but for that subset of superhumans that craves the Taiwanese sweet pickle condiment that goes with it - this is it. This is the recipe for you. This is - okay yeah, it probably won't change your life, but it's pretty good.

I've always had a penchant for sour foods. I remember when I was 8 years old (for some reason, I wrote this with the voice of an elderly wheezing grandma in mind) my French tutor had a lemon tree in her backyard. When my class was over and my mom hadn't come to pick me up yet, I'd pluck lemons from the tree, squeeze it like a stressball, puncture the skin like a creepy little vampire and greedily suck up the lemon juice.

Don't ask.

Ingredients

• 2 lb Cabbage 

• 1 Carrot 

• ⅛ cup of Salt 

• ⅛ cup of Sugar 

• 2 Thai Chili (optional) 

Sauce 

• 1 cup of Rice Vinegar

• 1 cup of Sugar 

• 2 cups of Water 

Instructions

1. Clean and cut the radish into bite-sized pieces; I chose to slice this into slivers and cubes, and included some shiisito peppers and carrot slivers, but it's totally up to you. Add in ⅛ cup of salt and ⅛ cup of sugar, toss everything together, and set it aside for at least 20 minutes. To speed up the process, you can also add a heavy object on top of the cabbage. 

2. Slice the carrots into thin strips, add in 1 tbsp of salt, and 1 tbsp of sugar, toss and set it aside for 20 minutes. 

3. Add 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 cups of water to a pot. Turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the sugar is cooked. Let it cool down completely on the side. 

4. After 20 minutes, squeeze out all the excess water from the cabbage and carrot. Add in 2 chopped Thai chili (optional), and toss everything together. 

5. Pour in the vinegar mixture, and massage everything together. 

6. Store in an air-tight container overnight, and enjoy! It can last in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.