Olive kimchi sounded strange to me at first too.
I remember hearing about it and thinking, Really? Olives?
But the more I thought about it, the more it started to make sense.
Kimchi, at its core, begins with vegetables cured in salt. Kimchi (napa) cabbage is brined, radish is salted, cucumbers are seasoned after salting (sometimes curing). Olives already go through that exact process: they are salt-cured fruits.
But instead of fermenting them again, this recipe treats it like a geotjeori (겉절이): seasoning them lightly and enjoying them fresh! Once I tried it, everything clicked.
This recipe is simple and easy, making the olives more exciting with bold flavors. It’s the kind of dish that makes you rethink what kimchi can be! As I always like to say, you can kimchi anything.
Why Did Olive Kimchi Go Viral?
Olive kimchi went viral because it feels unexpected, yet logical once explained. Many people associate kimchi only with fermentation, but fresh kimchi (a.k.a. geotjeori) has always existed in Korean cooking. When people realized that olives already fit into the kimchi framework through salt-curing, the idea quickly clicked.
Accessibility also played a big role. Shelf-stable cured olives are easy to find everywhere nowadays, often already sitting in the fridge. Turning them into a kimchi-style side dish requires no special equipment, no waiting, and very few ingredients.
Lastly, olive kimchi is extremely versatile. People pair it not only with rice, but also with grilled meat, bread, cheese, wine, and simple weeknight meals. That flexibility helped it travel quickly across cultures and platforms.
What Kind of Kimchi Is This?
This olive kimchi is best understood as geotjeori, a fresh kimchi that is seasoned and eaten immediately (or allowing up to 2 days for the flavors to mingle) rather than fermented.
It doesn’t rely on time or microbial activity to develop flavor. Instead, the focus is on balance: saltiness, spice, aromatics, and oil coming together in one bowl. Because it isn’t fermented, the flavors stay bold and direct, and small adjustments make a noticeable difference.
What Kind of Olives Should You Use?
Not all olives work well for olive kimchi.
I’ve tested a few options, and small, pitted green olives work best.
They hold their shape, absorb seasoning evenly, and stay balanced alongside gochugaru and fish sauce.
Black olives, on the other hand, tend to be too soft and much more aromatic.
Their flavor can easily overpower the seasoning, and the texture gets lost once everything is mixed.
For the cleanest result, stick with small green olives with the pits removed.
Recommended varietals:
Castelvetrano, Manzanilla, Halkidiki
(small, mild green olives work best)
A Note on Saltiness
The olives I used were cured at around 3% salinity (just simply check the Nutritional Value section of the product), which is relatively mild.
Because of that, I only rinsed them briefly and didn’t soak them in water.
If you’re using olives that are noticeably saltier, soaking them in cold water for 20–30 minutes can help remove excess saltiness. This step doesn’t wash away the olive flavor, but it simply brings the salt level back into balance.
As with kimchi, the goal isn’t to remove the salt completely, but to adjust it so the seasoning can shine.
Olive Kimchi Recipe (A Fresh Kimchi-Style)
Ingredients
- Salt-cured olives 150 g (drained weight)
- Sweet onion ½ (70 g), cut into cubes
(about 1–1.5 cm, similar in size to the olives) - 1 green chili, finely sliced
- Gochugaru 1 Tbsp
- Minced garlic 1 tsp
- Fish sauce ½ Tbsp
- White balsamic vinegar (or also known as white condiment) ½ Tbsp
- Extra Virgin Olive oil 2 Tbsp
Method
- Rinse the olives
Drain the olives and rinse briefly under running water.
(You can save the brine for cocktails, marinades, or dressings.) - Dry thoroughly
Drain well and pat completely dry with kitchen towels. - Mix
In a bowl, combine the olives, cubed onion, and green chili.
Add the gochugaru, minced garlic, fish sauce, and white balsamic vinegar. - Finish with olive oil
Drizzle in the olive oil and gently toss until everything is evenly coated. - Rest & Serve
Refrigerate for 1-2 days to allow the flavors to mingle. This will keep in the fridge up to 7-10 days.
If the olive oil looks cloudy after refrigeration, simply let it sit at room temperature before serving. This is a natural property of extra virgin olive oil, not a flaw.
Quick Notes on Olives
- Best olives: small, pitted green olives
(Castelvetrano, Manzanilla, Halkidiki) - Avoid: black olives, they’re too soft and too aromatic
- I used olives cured at around 3% salinity, so I only rinsed them briefly.
- If your olives are saltier, soak them in cold water for 20-30 minutes to reduce excess salt.
This lowers saltiness without diluting the olive flavor.
Final Notes
Olive kimchi isn’t meant to replace traditional kimchi.
For me, it’s simply a way of applying the same logic to local ingredients or things I already have in my kitchen.
It’s about understanding how kimchi works and applying it to our everyday lives.
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Olive Kimchi (A Viral Recipe, Refined)
Ingredients
- 150 g Salt-cured olives drained weight
- ½ Sweet onion (70g) cut into cubes (about 1–1.5 cm, similar in size to the olives)
- 1 Green chili sliced
- 1 tbsp Gochugaru
- 1 tsp Minced garlic or 1 clove garlic
- ½ tbsp Fish sauce
- ½ tbsp White balsamic vinegar or also known as white condiment
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
Rinse the olives
- Drain the olives and rinse briefly under running water.
- (You can save the brine for cocktails, marinades, or dressings.)
Dry thoroughly
- Drain well and pat completely dry with kitchen towels.
Mix
- In a bowl, combine the olives, cubed onion, and green chili.
- Add the gochugaru, minced garlic, fish sauce, and white balsamic vinegar.
Finish with olive oil
- Drizzle in the olive oil and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
Rest & Serve
- Refrigerate for 1-2 days to allow the flavors to mingle. This will keep in the fridge up to 7-10 days.
- If the olive oil looks cloudy after refrigeration, simply let it sit at room temperature before serving. This is a natural property of extra virgin olive oil, not a flaw.
Notes
(Castelvetrano, Manzanilla, Halkidiki) Avoid: black olives, they’re too soft and too aromatic I used olives cured at around 3% salinity, so I only rinsed them briefly. If your olives are saltier, soak them in cold water for 20-30 minutes to reduce excess salt.
This lowers saltiness without diluting the olive flavor.
