← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 250 g Burdock root (gobo), scrubbed or lightly peeled
• 1 tsp vinegar, for the soaking water
• 1 tbsp sesame or perilla oil
• 120 ml Water
• 1½ tbsp Soy sauce
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp mirin or rice wine
• 2 tbsp rice syrup, corn syrup or golden syrup
• ½ tsp Sesame seeds

Method

1. Cut the burdock into 6 cm lengths, then into thin matchsticks. Drop them straight into cold water with the vinegar to stop them browning and leave for 10 min. Drain well.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and stir-fry the burdock for 3–4 min, until it softens slightly and smells nutty.
3. Add the water, soy sauce, sugar and mirin, bring to a simmer and cook for 8–10 min, stirring now and then, until most of the liquid has gone.
4. Add the syrup and toss over medium-low heat for 2–3 min more, until the burdock is shiny and sticky. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cool before serving.

Tips

• Burdock is sold as long brown roots in Asian and Japanese shops (as gobo); the skin is thin, so a scrub is enough.
• Keeps for a week in the fridge and is great rolled into gimbap.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang Kimchimari FutureDish