''Chonggakmu'' or Chonggak radish, also called ponytail radish, is a variety of

white radish Daikon or mooli, ''Raphanus sativus'' var. ''longipinnatus,'' is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root. Originally native to continental East Asia, daikon is harvested and consumed ...

. It is a small radish with many fine roots; of which the entire plant, including the leaves and stems, is used in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

Names and etymology

The

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

word ''chonggakmu'' () is a

compound Compound may refer to: Architecture and built environments * Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall ** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struct ...

of ''chonggak'' (, "bachelor") and mu (, "radish"). In premodern Korea, unmarried men and boys pulled their hair into a long braid, while married adult men wore their hair in ''sangtu'', a topknot. On the day of the

coming of age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...

ceremony, a boy's braid was undone and it was first made into ''chonggak'', hornlike double topknots, before it was undone again and be made into ''sangtu''. As the shape of chonggak radishes resembled the shape of ''chonggak'' hair, it came to be called by the name of ''chonggak'' radish.

Description

The

taproots A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

of the radish weigh , and are about ten to thirteen times smaller than a regular

Korean radish ''Mu'' or Korean radish is a variety of white radish with a firm crunchy texture. Although ''mu'' () is also a generic term for radishes in Korean, the word is usually used in its narrow sense, referring to the white radish, or more specificall ...

. The upper part of the roots are subterranean stems, from which the long ovate leaves grow. The roots are long and the rhizomes are long.

Culinary use

Radish greens, called ''mucheong'', is dried to make ''

siraegi ''Siraegi'' () is a Korean ingredient prepared by drying the leaves and stems of a radish or, less commonly, of a napa cabbage. ''Siraegi'' dishes * ''Siraegi-jijimi'' – a type of ''jijimi'' that is made by first cutting soaked ''siraegi'' i ...

'' or used fresh in cooking. Whole, vertically halved, or quartered chonggak radishes along with the leaves and stems are often used to make kimchi, called ''chonggak-kimchi'', with the seasonings similar to those of ''

kkakdugi ''Kkakdugi'' (깍두기) or diced radish kimchi is a variety of kimchi in Korean cuisine. Usually, Korean radish (called ''mu'', 무 in Korean) is used, but other vegetables or fruits can also be used. ''Kkakduk-kkakduk'' is an ideophone rela ...

'' (

radish The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an Eating, edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman Empire, Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, be ...

kimchi). Chonggak radishes can also be used to make ''

dongchimi ''Dongchimi'' is a variety of kimchi consisting of Korean radish, napa cabbage, scallions, jangajji, pickled green chili pepper, chilli, ginger, Pyrus pyrifolia, Korean pear and watery brine in Korean cuisine. As the name ''dong'' (hangul: 동; ...

'', a soupy winter radish kimchi. File:Chonggakkimchi (chonggak radish kimchi) 2.jpg, '' Chonggak-kimchi'' (chonggak radish kimchi) File:KOCIS Dongchimi (4814810848).jpg, ''

Dongchimi ''Dongchimi'' is a variety of kimchi consisting of Korean radish, napa cabbage, scallions, jangajji, pickled green chili pepper, chilli, ginger, Pyrus pyrifolia, Korean pear and watery brine in Korean cuisine. As the name ''dong'' (hangul: 동; ...

'' (radish water kimchi) made with chonggak radishes

References

Asian radishes Korean vegetables Leaf vegetables Root vegetables {{Brassicales-stub

Names and etymology

Description

Culinary use

See also

References