How to make cilantro kimchi in Korea, scaled to Korean grocery packs

Cilantro kimchi (gosu kimchi) is easy to make in Korea now that cilantro is sold by the pack.
The surprise is that the well-documented home version isn't fermented at all.
It's a fresh dish of radish and cilantro dressed with chili flakes, vinegar and fish sauce, meant to be eaten within a day or two.

The recipe here uses 100 g of cilantro, which in October 2026 meant one pack from Oasis Market or two from Kurly.
This guide also covers what to buy, the label names to look for, a vegan version and how long it keeps.

Fresh or fermented: which one are you making?

Make the fresh version.
The recipe documented by America's Test Kitchen tosses radish matchsticks with cilantro and is eaten like a salad, with no fermentation.
It comes from a family whose grandmother was born and raised in North Korea.
She called the dish gosu kimchi, and the authors note that its technically correct name is gosu musaengchae (seasoned cilantro and radish shreds).

We found no published recipe for a long-fermented cilantro kimchi, with weights and fermentation times, from a Korean government or kimchi research body.
So this guide doesn't make up a fermentation schedule.

The two-day limit comes from America's Test Kitchen's published recipe.

Where the dish comes from

The background is thin.
The National Institute of Korean Language's dictionary says gosu is widely grown at temples.
An English-language reference on Korean temple cuisine names gosu kimchi among the kimchi known in Buddhist temples in some regions, and gosu muchim (dressed cilantro) among the specialties of Haeinsa Temple.

Where can you buy cilantro in Korea?

Look for gosu, the Korean word for cilantro and coriander leaf.
Korean online grocers sell domestic cilantro in small packs.
In October 2026, Kurly listed a 50 g pack at ₩2,990 and Oasis Market listed a 100 g pack at ₩7,200 before discounts.

If you can't order online, large supermarkets and vegetable stalls in traditional markets may have it, but don't count on it.

What to buy, by the name on the Korean label

Korean labels use Korean names, so here are the romanized names to ask for, what to choose and what to use if you can't find an item.

The fish sauce notes come from Korean cooking coverage comparing the two kinds.
Anchovy sauce has a stronger, fishier smell, so add it a little at a time and taste.

Fresh cilantro and radish kimchi, scaled to 100 g

This scales America's Test Kitchen's published proportions down to 100 g of cilantro.
It makes four to five side-dish servings.
Spoon measures are 15 ml tablespoons and 5 ml teaspoons.

Ingredients

• 100 g cilantro (one 100 g pack or two 50 g packs)

• About 400 g Korean radish

• 1½ Tbsp sugar

• 1½ Tbsp gochugaru

• 1 Tbsp plus ½ tsp white vinegar

• 2½ tsp maesil-cheong

• 2 tsp fish sauce (aekjeot)

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• 1¼ tsp fine salt

• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Peel the radish and cut it into matchsticks about 7–8 cm long.

2. Wash the cilantro, trim off the roots and dry the leaves completely.

Wet leaves dilute the dressing, and it won't cling.

1. Cut the cilantro into lengths similar to the radish.

2. In a large bowl, toss the radish with the sugar, gochugaru, vinegar, maesil-cheong, fish sauce, garlic, salt and sesame seeds until it's evenly red.

3. Add half the cilantro and toss lightly with your fingertips, separating any clumps.

Add the rest and toss the same way.

1. Serve right away or chill until the meal.

Variations

Cilantro only, no radish. This is closer to gosu muchim.
The seasoning above is balanced for 400 g of radish, so with cilantro alone start with about half of it and adjust to taste.
Thin onion slices add crunch if you miss the radish.

Vegan or temple-style. Use soy sauce in place of the fish sauce.
Traditional temple cooking also avoids garlic and other Allium vegetables, and it leaves out jeotgal (salted seafood).
To cook in that style, leave out the garlic too and let the cilantro carry the flavor.

For the brining and seasoning basics of a napa cabbage version, see our guide to quick-pickled napa cabbage kimchi.

How long does it keep, and when should you throw it out?

Keep it in a covered container in the fridge and finish it within two days.
It isn't fermented, so treat it like a dressed salad rather than a jar of kimchi.
The radish keeps releasing water, and by the second day the bowl is wetter and the cilantro softer.
That's normal.

As with any dressed salad, throw it out sooner if it turns slimy, smells off rather than just tangy, or shows any mold.
To spread a pack over more than one meal, keep the herb dry and paper-wrapped in the fridge and dress a small batch each time.