Chungmu Kimbap (Mini Rice Rolls with Spicy Radish Salad & Squid)

충무 김밥

Chungmu Kimbap may look simple, but don’t let its minimalist roll fool you—it comes with a side of soul. Born in the coastal town of Chungmu (now Tongyeong), this dish began as a thoughtful lunchbox from a loving wife to her fisherman husband—no fuss, no complications, just perfectly portable rice rolls paired with spicy squid and radish on the side. Nearly 70 years later, this humble seaside snack has resurfaced as a cult favorite in Seoul, proving that great food—and great love—never go out of style.

Ingredients

SERVES 2

Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

For the Fish Cakes and Squid:

550g fresh or frozen squid rings, thawed and cleaned
3 (2oz) sheets, fish cakes
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
½ Tbsp Kosher salt

For the Radish:

500g (17.6oz) danmuji (white pickled Korean radish)
7 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp garlic, grated
2 Tbsp spring onions (scallions), very finely sliced
2 Tbsp white sugar

For the Kimbap (rice rolls):

2 plain seaweed (nori / gim) sheets
3 cups steamed short-grain white rice
1 tsp roasted sesame oil, for brushing

To Serve:

Sprinkle of black sesame seeds
Sprinkle of white sesame seeds
Sprinkle of chives, cut into 2cm long pieces
Thinly sliced spring onion (scallion)

Method

Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set it near the pot. Once the pot of water reaches a boil, lower to a medium simmer.
Meanwhile, prepare the fish cakes, cut them into triangles about the same size (approximately 5cm-6cm) as the squid rings. Place the fish cakes and the squid into the boiling water and cook for about 1-2 minutes until cooked through. The fish cakes should be soft and floppy, and the squid should be tender with a slight bite. Remove the fish cakes and squid with a slotted spoon and plunge into the ice bath to stop the cooking. Once cooled, remove the squid and fish cakes from the ice bath using a slotted spoon and place into a medium bowl. Tip in the sugar, rice vinegar and salt and mix well until all of the sugar is dissolved. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate.
Cut the danmuji into rough triangular pieces at an angle about 2.5cm- 3cm thick. Place into a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the gochugaru, honey, mirin, fish sauce, roasted sesame oil, garlic, spring onions, sugar and 3 Tbsp of water. Mix well until fully incorporated, add a bit more water, if necessary—the mixture should be saucy, but not too loose. Pour about half of this sauce over the danmuji and mix well to coat all of the radish pieces well. Set aside.
Remove the squid and the fish cakes from the fridge and tip out any excess liquid from the bottom of the bowl and discard. Pour the remaining gochugaru sauce over the squid and fish cakes and mix well to coat evenly. Place back into the fridge.
Finally, make the kimbap. Cut a sheet of seaweed in half across the middle horizontally. Set the top half aside. Spoon cooked rice onto the bottom half piece of seaweed to make a compact log (about 2cm diameter) going across the on the long edge of the seaweed. Roll the seaweed up tightly and use a bit of water to seal the edge of the seaweed to the roll. Cut the roll into quarters and repeat for the remaining seaweed. Brush the finished rolls with roasted sesame oil.
To serve, place the radish in a pile or a row on a plate, and do the same with the fish cakes and squid rings. Stack up or line up the kimbap and garnish with black and white sesame seeds, the chives and spring onions as you like. Serve immediately.

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