Oi Muchim: Sweet and Sour 7UP Pickled Cucumbers

Photo: Alex Lau

May 22, 2024

The ultimate BBQ companion.

While dining at Soot Bull Tak Tak, a barbecue restaurant in Seoul, Korea, chef Deuki Hong could not stop snacking on the oi muchim, pickled cucumber banchan, that was served alongside the barbecue. “This pickle was tart, slightly sweet, a little effervescent, and addictive,” he writes in his book Koreaworld: A Cookbook. Its secret ingredient? Lemon-lime soda. Naturally, he had to include his own take in his book, “which we think is the best banchan ever to serve with barbecue at home,” he adds.

Ingredients

Yield:3 cups

1 lb. small Kirby cucumbers, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red finger chile or other medium-hot chile (such as cayenne or serrano), minced
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup 7UP or Sprite
sesame oil, for serving

Preparation

Pack a clean, heatproof 1-quart container with the cucumbers, garlic, and chile.

In a small saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from the heat and pour the hot pickling liquid over the cucumbers. Top off with the 7UP. Stir gently along the sides to combine.

Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate ideally for a couple of hours. Serve the pickles cold with some of the liquid and a small drizzle of sesame oil stirred in. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.