Cut the napa cabbage into bite-sized pieces, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Massage the salt into the cabbage and let it sit for about 1 hour to release water.
Massage the cabbage gently to ensure the salt penetrates evenly.
Rinse the cabbage thoroughly under cold water to remove the excess salt, then drain well.
Ensure that the cabbage is well-drained to prevent the kimchi from becoming too salty.
Grate the garlic and ginger, and mix them with Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru), fish sauce, and sugar to form a thick paste.
Adjust the amount of gochugaru based on your spice preference.
Chop the spring onions into small pieces and add them to the garlic-ginger paste.
The spring onions will add a fresh, crisp texture to the kimchi.
Mix the cabbage with the garlic-ginger paste and spring onions, ensuring all pieces are evenly coated.
You can wear gloves to avoid staining your hands with the spicy paste.
Once the cabbage is coated with the paste, let it sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
For even more flavor, you can adjust the spice level to your liking.
Serve the geotjeori immediately as a fresh, non-fermented kimchi or refrigerate for a couple of hours for better flavor.
Geotjeori is best served fresh and can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.