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Burdock root is also used by Italians, though I am not sure if it is sold...or merely gathered by people in rural areas. It is cooked like fennel (though blanched first to remove bitterness), braised in chicken or beef broth in the oven or top-of-stove and served in the reduced broth with grated Parmesan on top.

Good...earthy and hearty.

Edited by Carrot Top (log)
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I have to say, I really like it cooked with soy sauce, sugar, and I forget exactly the proportions and such, until it's almost candied in a salty sweet syrup. I like lotus root this way too. Has anyone had this? Did I dream it? I haven't had this for a long time so maybe my memory is bad.

I love cold Dinty Moore beef stew. It is like dog food! And I am like a dog.

--NeroW

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I have to say, I really like it cooked with soy sauce, sugar, and I forget exactly the proportions and such, until it's almost candied in a salty sweet syrup.  I like lotus root this way too.  Has anyone had this?  Did I dream it?  I haven't had this for a long time so maybe my memory is bad.

Is this a Korean style?

I did renkon (lotus root) like that before, I got the recipe from Korean cookbook, it was really good.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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I have to say, I really like it cooked with soy sauce, sugar, and I forget exactly the proportions and such, until it's almost candied in a salty sweet syrup.  I like lotus root this way too.  Has anyone had this?  Did I dream it?  I haven't had this for a long time so maybe my memory is bad.
did you dream it? you probably did not.

candied... it sounds like it was treated a lot like the soybeans in kongjang.

the recipe for kongjang is similar to the recipe for u-eong bokkum, only the proportions are different (you dont need the mizuame/mul-yeot for any of these dishes).

u-eong bokkum is made with water, soy sauce, sake and sugar (fry first then add the sauce). this dish is exactly the same as gobo kinpira. ...or is kinpira exactly the same as u-eong bokkeum? :raz:

lotus root (yeon-geun/renkon) can be treated in a similar matter to make the sweet and salty dark dish.

"Bibimbap shappdy wappdy wap." - Jinmyo
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  • 1 month later...
My favorite way of eating them is fried. Takes on this sweetness.

I deep fried them for the first time last night.

gallery_6134_91_1103245049.jpg

WOW! they lose that somewhat root-y taste and become really sweet. My oldest daughter who normally picks gobo out of her dishes couldn't stop eating these. I served them with a horseradish-mayo dip, though they would have been fine sprinkled with just salt.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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In the UK Dandelion and Burdock is a traditional soda flavouring.

In the "The Heart of Zen Cuisine" (ISBN 087011848) Soei Yoneda gives arrecipe for "Arrow Feathers" yabne in whick the burdock is sliced diagonally, simmered in dashi, and soy, and served cold, with each piece cut in half to make "v" sections representing the tail flights of the arrow that routs evil...

Delicious too...

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  • 8 months later...
My favorite way of eating them is fried. Takes on this sweetness.

I deep fried them for the first time last night.

gallery_6134_91_1103245049.jpg

WOW! they lose that somewhat root-y taste and become really sweet. My oldest daughter who normally picks gobo out of her dishes couldn't stop eating these. I served them with a horseradish-mayo dip, though they would have been fine sprinkled with just salt.

This reminds me of Yucca Fritas or Fried Yucca. How about a fried gobo stand in Tokyo???? Of course you will have to come up with variety of dips. Sure will put the Belgian frieds guy out of business!

Leave the gun, take the canoli

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How about a fried gobo stand in Tokyo????  Of course you will have to come up with variety of dips.  Sure will put the Belgian frieds guy out of business!

Gobo To Go? Too bad we don't fry much. The gobo fries look delicious.

Baker of "impaired" cakes...
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Torakris...Did you fried your gobo dirty (Frying with the skin)?  And you do wash off the starch after you cutted them?

I never peel gobo, I just wash the skin really well with a brush. Normally when using gobo I soak it in acidulated water but I can't remember if I did it for these the discoloration wouldn't be noticeable.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I just saw gobo (burdock root) for sale in our local Whole Foods---cut into pieces about the size of thick asparagus spears. The pieces were slightly soft to squeeze---softer than fresh asparagus. How can you tell what is "good" gobo in the market? Should it feel soft, hard, should it be thick or thin?

He who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise. --- Henry David Thoreau
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I just saw gobo (burdock root) for sale in our local Whole Foods---cut into pieces about the size of thick asparagus spears. The pieces were slightly soft to squeeze---softer than fresh asparagus. How can you tell what is "good" gobo in the market? Should it feel soft, hard, should it be thick or thin?

It should be relatively firm and smooth (no wrinkles). Thickness can vary a bit.

Out of curiosity, what do you plan on using it for? If you're new to using it, kinpira gobo might be a good place to start. So easy and tasty!

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Fresh gobo is quite firm, it is usually 1 to 2 feet in length and if you hold it by the bottom it should not flop over rather it should stay straight. The color and thickness can vary by variety and season.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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Fresh gobo is quite firm, it is usually 1 to 2 feet in length and if you hold it by the bottom it should not flop over rather it should stay straight. The color and thickness can vary by  variety and season.

My cousins used to whip each other with gobo when they were young.

Leave the gun, take the canoli

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  • 5 months later...

What is 'soft gobo'? Is this gobo in it's second year but before flowering? Here in the UK about 3 weeks ago young leaves started forming on the crop sown last summer but not harvested.

Secondly, does anyone in Japan eat the young leaves? Look at the 'edible uses' info on this PFAF link

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What is 'soft gobo'? Is this gobo in it's second year but before flowering? Here in the UK about 3 weeks ago young leaves started forming on the crop sown last summer but not harvested.

Secondly, does anyone in Japan eat the young leaves? Look at the 'edible uses' info on this PFAF link

Soft gobo is usually called shin-gobo (新ごぼう) in Japanese. This is new/young gobo, it is much softer, lighter in color, thinner and shorter than regular gobo. I have never seen leaves on it but a quick internet search shows they are popular in the Kansai (Osaka) region. I found this page that has a nice picture with leaves attached.

Helen,

I picked up some last week and cooked it tamago-toji style and the little bit leftover was turned in a kinpira for my daughters' bentos.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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robinjw13, I think that the "new" young gobo is probably first harvested in the condition you describe - sometimes I see packs in the shops with the new, curled-up shoots at the top.

I'll have to check on the leaves - I won't say what I thought they contained, in case I'm wrong! :laugh:

Edit: OK, I checked. The type that has edible leaves or stems is not the regular gobo、which tends to have reddish stems, but "white" gobo, which has plain green stems. Even then, they are only eaten young - either as simmered dishes, or chopped and stirfried with sesame oil. This latter treatment raises my antennae - it seems to be mostly used for things that are almost inedible without the sesame flavor!

Edited by helenjp (log)
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Thanks Helenjp, I'll try them out - I've just had an order for a few roots on Wednesday so I'll keep the young leaves. Never seen redish stems, ours are pure white/green (variety is 'Shosaku' from Kaneko).

By deduction, shin-gobo must be harvested only a few months into growth during the first year, before the root lengthens. But could you say what month(s) shin-gobo is available Torakris? That would allow me to know if it is spring-planted or autumn-planted seed and whether the weather :rolleyes: has any effect on the softness and colour.

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