When you go to Kyochon Chicken, there's something you must bring back. It's chicken radish, haha.

Honestly, without chicken radish, I feel like the chicken is not 100% complete.

It's like when you have soup, bulgogi, and rolled eggs on the table, but no kimchi; it feels empty, right?

It's the same as when there are no pickles with pizza or no danmuji with jjajangmyeon.

I live in Fullerton and sometimes go to Kyochon Chicken in Buena Park. But I always make sure to bring back chicken radish.

If I don't, I feel like I've missed out, and when I eat chicken at home, it feels incomplete.

It's amazing how this small radish pickle completely balances out the greasiness of the chicken; it's almost magical.

Chicken radish can actually be called 'dongchimi for chicken.'

It's diced radish pickled in a sweet and sour brine, and thanks to its refreshing taste, it pairs perfectly with greasy chicken.

When Yoon Jong-gye, who developed seasoned chicken, introduced chicken radish, it became an indispensable combination in Korean chicken culture.

Now, wherever you go to a chicken restaurant in Korea, chicken radish is served as a standard, and if you say, "We didn't get chicken radish," it feels like your order is incomplete.

There's even a term called "banbanmumani." It comes from ordering half-and-half chicken with a lot of chicken radish, proving that chicken radish is essential.

When you bite into chicken radish, it makes a crunchy sound and spreads a refreshing taste in your mouth.

It might seem like just radish flavor, but thanks to the pickling with sugar and vinegar, it cleanses the greasiness of the chicken.

When you start to feel greasy while eating chicken, popping a piece of chicken radish resets your palate.

So, if you have ten pieces of chicken, you need at least one container of chicken radish.

But the problem is that chicken radish is somewhat of a headache for chicken restaurant owners.

It's cheap, but customers request refills a lot. "Boss, can I have one more chicken radish?" This phrase must be stuck in the ears of chicken restaurant staff. As a result, it takes up a significant portion of the cost.

Moreover, if customers leave it behind, it's bulky and heavy, making it a hassle when disposing of food waste.

Still, they can't not serve it. Chicken without chicken radish is unimaginable.

I love chicken radish so much that I sometimes make it at home. It's surprisingly simple.

Instructions:

Cut the radish into small cubes. (The size should be just right to pop in your mouth)

Mix sugar, vinegar, and water in a 1:1:1 ratio and boil it, then add a little salt to make the pickling brine.

Place the diced radish in a container and pour the hot 1:1:1 brine over it, then close the lid.

After leaving it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, you'll have sweet and sour crunchy chicken radish!

When you make it at home, you can eat it like a side dish even without chicken.

It's perfect when you're eating greasy American food with the kids and can't stand the heaviness, haha.

Making it at home is even better because you can eat as much as you want.