Steps

1. Rub 5 cucumbers with salt and scrub them.
   🕒 01:24
2. Trim off the very ends of the cucumbers and cut them in half.
   🕒 01:50
3. Starting from the end, make deep cross-shaped slits about 1-2 cm from the tip. [Key Tip!] These slits are crucial for stuffing the sauce.
   🕒 02:15
4. Boil water in a pot and dissolve 2 tbsp of salt.
   🕒 03:01
5. Pour the hot saltwater over the cucumbers arranged in a tray, then loosely cover with plastic wrap.
   🕒 03:12
6. Place a weight on top of the cucumbers and let them sit for 1 hour. [Key Tip!] Soaking in hot water tenderizes the cucumbers and helps them absorb flavor without compromising their texture.
   🕒 04:08
7. Finely julienne 120g of radish, 30g of carrot, and 2-3 stalks of chives.
   🕒 04:44
8. Combine the julienned radish, carrot, and chives in a bowl, then add 60g of spicy pollack roe. [Key Tip!] If children will be eating, you can substitute with mentaiko (plain pollack roe).
   🕒 05:05
9. Add 1 tbsp of honey, grated garlic from 1 clove, and grated ginger juice from 1 clove and mix briefly. [Key Tip!] If honey is unavailable, you can use sugar as a substitute.
   🕒 06:16
10. Mix in chili powder to taste and dried chili threads to taste, according to your preference. [Key Tip!] If Korean chili powder is unavailable, start with a small amount of Japanese Ichimi Togarashi and adjust to your taste.
    🕒 06:45
11. Discard the brine from the salted cucumbers and pat them dry with paper towels.
    🕒 08:06
12. Carefully stuff the prepared sauce into the slits of the cucumbers.
    🕒 08:45
13. Once all cucumbers are stuffed, mix juice from 1 apple and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then coat the cucumbers with the remaining sauce and this mixture. [Key Tip!] If you don't have an apple, you can substitute with apple juice diluted with vinegar.
    🕒 09:18
14. Plate and serve. Letting it sit will further meld the flavors.
    🕒 10:08