Water Kimchi Family: Baek-Kimchi, Dongchimi, and Nabak

Water kimchi is kimchi without the red paste, and it is the most revealing test of your technique. Baek-kimchi (white kimchi) packs napa and radish with pine nuts, jujube, and garlic in a light 2–2.5% salt brine lightly sweetened with pear; dongchimi ferments whole young radishes with ginger and green onion tops in cool brine; nabak-kimchi is the quick, thinly sliced napa-radish version tamed for fast service.

Because there is no gochugaru to hide behind, balance is exposed. Too much salt and the broth tastes like seawater; too little and it turns cloudy and spoils. Start at 22–25g salt per liter of filtered water, add 8–12g sugar or grated Asian pear per liter, and adjust after 24 hours — you can always dilute or salt up, you cannot unsour a bitter batch.

Temperature and time define character. A 48-hour room-temp start gives gentle fizz, then refrigerate for 4–7 days as it slowly sours and clears. Dongchimi traditionally ferments whole at near-refrigerator temps for 2–3 weeks in an onggi set into the ground or a kimchi fridge; modern home cooks mimic that with the coldest shelf and patience.

Serve functions differ. Baek-kimchi brine is a cold noodle broth, a bibim-guksu rinse, or a palate reset for grilled meat. Dongchimi brine is the base for nang-myeon on the coldest day, and its radishes stay crisp for weeks if you keep them submerged. Nabak is Tuesday banchan that takes 24 hours, not 24 days.

Keep it anaerobic and clean. Use a weight to hold solids under brine, skim any white surface yeast quickly, and keep utensils clean between tastings. Water kimchi rewards cleanliness more visibly than red kimchi — clear brine is your report card.