Noma-Style Kimchi-Inspired Lacto-Fermented Carrot Ribbons with Garlic Greens
Davis Whitehead·120 hr 20 min·Makes about 1 quart (1 liter) jarThin carrot ribbons fermented under a precise salt percentage for clean, Noma-style lactic tang with a subtle kimchi nod: ginger, gochugaru, and a whisper of garlic-green allium. The result is bright, crunchy-sour, lightly spicy, and intensely aromatic—perfect on rice bowls, sandwiches, grilled meats, or alongside rich dishes. This method uses a weighed salt ratio for repeatable results and keeps everything submerged to avoid mold and oxidation.
- fermented
- noma-style
- kimchi-inspired
- condiment
- vegan-optional
Ingredients
- Vegetables (weighed)
- •500 g carrots, peeled and sliced very thin (ribbons or coins)
- •40 g garlic greens or scallion greens, cut into 2–3 cm pieces
- Salt + liquid
- •2.5% fine sea salt by total weight of vegetables + added water (see step 2)
- •Cold, non-chlorinated water, as needed to just cover
- Kimchi-inspired aromatics
- •10 g fresh ginger, finely grated
- •2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- •8–12 g gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), to taste (start with 8 g for “tiny bit” spicy)
- •5 g sugar (about 1 tsp), optional (rounds flavor, feeds fermentation)
- Optional umami (choose one)
- •10 g fish sauce OR 8 g light soy sauce (optional)
Instructions
Prep
Slice the carrots. Use a mandoline (best) or sharp knife to slice carrots very thin (about 1–2 mm). Thin slices ferment fast and can soften, so aim for uniform slices for even texture.
Calculate salt (Noma-style precision). Weigh your empty fermentation jar, then add carrots + garlic greens + aromatics (ginger, garlic, gochugaru, sugar, and optional fish/soy). Add cold water just to cover everything, then weigh the jar again. Subtract the empty-jar weight to get the total ferment weight (veg + aromatics + water). Multiply that number by 0.025 to get grams of salt. Stir in that exact amount of salt until dissolved.
Example: If total contents weigh 900 g, salt = 900 × 0.025 = 22.5 g.
Pack + submerge
Pack tightly. Press everything down firmly so the carrots are compact and most air bubbles rise out.
Keep it submerged. Use a fermentation weight, a small zip-top bag filled with brine, or a cabbage leaf to keep all solids under the brine. Anything exposed is where kahm yeast/mold starts.
Close appropriately. Use an airlock lid if you have one. Otherwise, use a normal lid screwed on just fingertip-tight so gas can escape, or “burp” daily for the first few days.
Ferment
Ferment at cool room temp. Keep the jar at 18–22°C / 64–72°F, out of direct sun. Start tasting at 48 hours.
Know it’s working. You should see small bubbles, the brine may go slightly cloudy, and it’ll smell fresh-sour (like yogurt + vegetables), not rotten.
Stop when it hits your target. For thin slices, a great window is 3–6 days:
- Day 3: bright, lightly sour, crunchier
- Day 5–6: more lactic tang, deeper kimchi-ish aroma, slightly softer
Store
Refrigerate. Once you like the flavor, move to the fridge. It’ll keep fermenting slowly and stay best for 4–8 weeks.
Serving: Drain a bit and dress with a few drops of toasted sesame oil and a squeeze of lime, or pile onto rice with a fried egg.
Notes
Salt level: 2.5% is a sweet spot for thin-sliced carrots—clean, bright ferment with better crunch insurance. If your kitchen runs warm (>24°C/75°F), ferment cooler or shorten the time to avoid soft carrots.
Kimchi vibe without full kimchi: This is intentionally “tiny bit” kimchi-inspired—no napa cabbage paste, no heavy funk. Add more gochugaru for heat/color, and fish sauce for classic kimchi depth.
Troubleshooting: White film (kahm yeast) is usually harmless—skim it and keep solids submerged. Fuzzy/colored mold on exposed pieces means discard that batch.
Texture tip: For extra crunch, you can add 1–2 g calcium chloride (“Pickle Crisp”) per quart; it won’t affect fermentation.
Safety: Use clean jars/tools, keep everything submerged, and refrigerate once you like the acidity. If it smells putrid, slimy, or shows colored mold throughout, don’t eat it.