The radishes are not large, usually 2 to 4 inches long, and very firm and crispy. They are mostly used for chonggak kimchi. The Korean word chonggak (총각) means an unmarried young bachelor. In the old days, an unmarried man traditionally had a hairstyle that resembled the greens of this vegetable, which is how it got its name.
- Ponytail radish
- Other English name(s): altari radish, passion altari
- Scientific name: Raphanus sativus
- Classified under: Fruits & Vegetables, Radishes
- Korean name: 총각무
- Romanized: Chonggakmu
- Also Romanized as: chong gak mu, chonggakmoo
- Other Korean name(s): 알타리무 (altarimu), 달랑무
My cookbooks
Which to get? Both are best sellers and either one is a good choice if you want to learn Korean home cooking. Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking has all the recipes for all the essential Korean pastes and sauces, but my second book Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking has more recipes, more photos, and more variety.
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My monthly letter to my readers includes my recipe roundup, funny and touching stories, upcoming events, reader comments and photos of what you guys are cooking! It's delivered the first day of every month. Here's the letter from April 1st if you want to see what it's like.
Hi Maangchi, I really wish to maske ur ponytail radish kimchi but unfortunately I can’t get my hands on them… Check with the korean store here but they did not carry them. Btw I’m in Sg. Is there any way I can get those radish? Can I buy thru u..? Or do u know where I can get online and delivered to Sg? Or mayb the seeds so I can plant it? Thank u…..