gobo

[torakris]

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 has any effect on the softness and colour.

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I started seeing it about 2 weeks ago but on a shopping trip yesterday I couldn't find it....

Looking online though lists the time period for shin gobo at May-June???

I need to look into this more. Maybe they are coming from different places?

[Hiroyuki]

Helen:

How about these recipes (in Japanese)?

I'd like gobo no koumi age (first one), please!

I found some sites on ha (= leaf) gobo:

http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/nousui/aji/2/z/057-z.htm

It says, "In Nire town (in Kagawa prefecture), ha gobo is "tunnel cultivated" and harvested in December through April."

http://www2.odn.ne.jp/afn-sensyu/AEC/wakuw...bou/hagobo.html

This one describes in detail how to cultivate ha gobo, in JAPANESE.

BY THE WAY, it strikes me a little odd whenever gobo is mentioned here on eGullet. I had assumed that gobo was consumed by the Japanese ONLY.

[helenjp]

I think the new gobo is traditionally an early summer crop - early June. And what we are seeing now is not the really thin gobo, so I assume it's cultivated in greenhouses, further south?

Thanks for the links Hiroyuki. I think I likely will end up frying it, because 1) it preserves the flavor so well, and 2) it's quick and easy, and tomorrow's the deadline for tax returns!

[torakris]

BY THE WAY, it strikes me a little odd whenever gobo is mentioned here on eGullet.  I had assumed that gobo was consumed by the Japanese ONLY.

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As far I as know, traditionally Japan was the only country to consume gobo as a food though other countries have used it for medicinal pruposes.

As Japanese food grows popular all around the world so does gobo....

[helenjp]

Arctium lappa, nice little wikipedia article on origins and use.

I gently fried some of the new gobo with some chicken I was frying for husband's bento, then added a little vinegar, soy and mirin to finish. Gobo and chicken go together well, and the new gobo absorbed the chicken flavor beautifully!

[tissue]

My grandma used to grate them like she was making hash browns. And deep fry them. I forgot if she battered them or not, she might have because they were like little round patties.... TASTY!

[helenjp]

Tissue, sounds like kakiage - they are often fried that way with a little carrot, but for some reason, frying really brings out the aroma and sweetness, and smooths out any harshness or bitterness.

[Ohba]

Presumably you're all quite familiar by now with the "digestive" properties of gobo. You can practically set your clock by it.

[Robinjw13]

..... 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!

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Just tried some young curled-up leaves with about 3cm of stalk - that's all that's formed so far in this the second & final year of the crop. They were stir-fried in a minute amount of olive oil and so I could taste the 'real veg'. Bitter-sweet. Tasty, but a strong under-current of bitterness at the same time . and thankfully I only had a small quantity to eat. Definitely not in the shiso - mitsuba - sansho league.

[torakris]

I made a wonderful shin-gobo (new spring gobo) and mitsuba last night. The recipe was from the May edition of 3 pun cooking (3 minute cooking) magazine.

After blanching the gobo it was mixed with a dressing of canola oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic and dried chile.

[BarbaraY]

Kris, your salad looks delicious. Wish I could find gobo in the Farmer's Market here but it doesn't start until the end of May. I think I'll have to order some seeds and try growing it myself.

[mr.baconhead]

I've been buying pickled gobo at the market - looks like bright orange skinny carrots - but would really like to find a recipe to make it. So far, all I know is that it marinates in dark miso for several months - is that all there is to it, or is there more?

[helenjp]

Hard to say without seeing it, but I have a feeling that this is not real gobo (if it is, it would be the young roots). Probably it is called "yama gobo" (mountain gobo) BUT it isn't that either (real mountain gobo is pokeweed, quite poisonous unless carefully prepared).

Pickled gobo root that looks the way you describe is most likley the root of a type of thistle called cirsium dipsacolepis, mori-gobo or gobo-azami. In that case, I think I'd give up and try making it with young carrots, as the cirsium dipsacolepis root is quite sweet.

Edited April 28, 2006 by helenjp (log)

[ojisan]

I went to Mitsuwa this weekend, and I checked the packages - and they are "yama gobo". My gobo is still macerating in dark miso, so I'll see what I end up with.