Oi-sobagi오이소박이

Sobagi means "stuffed in," and it is the general name for kimchi made by filling vegetables with seasoning. Eggplants, chili peppers and radishes were once made into sobagi too, but today almost none survive except the cucumber kind, oi-sobagi (오이소박이).

Its first written appearance is hwanggwa damjeo-beop (黃瓜淡菹法) in Jeungbo Sallim Gyeongje, published in 1766: cucumbers slit on three sides, stuffed with chili powder and garlic, and left to ferment. The record is all the more interesting because it dates from the period when chili peppers were only beginning to appear in kimchi. Later books such as Imwon Gyeongjeji and Siuijeonseo describe a version much like today's, filled with scallions, garlic and chili powder. At the royal court, it is said, the filling was made from salted, minced cucumber trimmings.

Oi-sobagi changed quite a bit in the late 20th century. Older cookbooks describe packing the stuffed cucumbers into a crock and pouring in a little water to eat the next day, closer to a water kimchi. Cookbooks from the 1980s onward mostly skip the liquid. The filling shifted too, from minced scallion, garlic and ginger to mainly garlic chives. It is a seasonal treat from spring into summer, and a favorite on tables set for guests or for drinks.