Korean-Style Carrot Salad

Edaku — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 09:00:00 +0300

Despite the name, Korean-style carrot salad isn’t actually eaten in Korea in this form — it was invented by ethnic Koreans living in the Soviet Union, who adapted traditional preparation methods to the vegetables available locally. Over time it became such a fixture on post-Soviet tables that most people never stop to think about its unusual origin.

The salad hinges on two things: how the carrots are cut and the hot oil finish. The carrots need to be shredded into long, thin matchsticks — a julienne grater makes this much easier, though a steady hand with a knife works too. Pouring hot oil over the raw garlic and spices blooms their flavor far more than simply stirring them in cold — the same technique shows up across Asian cooking whenever a dressing calls for sizzling oil poured over aromatics.

Shredded Carrot on Edaku

Korean-Style Carrot Salad