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What Is Fernbrake (Gosari)?
Fiddlehead ferns or fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds from a young fern that people harvest to use as a vegetable.
In Korea, people refer to this vegetable as ‘gosari’ (고사리). These furled fronds are used as a cooked ingredient in many dishes. Note that it is important to cook this ingredient, as many fiddlehead fern species are often toxic when uncooked.
Fiddlehead Fern in Korean Cuisine:
Once again, people in Korea refer to the fiddlehead fern for cooking as ‘gosari’ (고사리).
- Bibimbap (비빔밥): Literally meaning ‘mixed rice,’ this dish is made by mixing a variety of sauteed vegetables with rice. This dish is typically topped with gochujang!
- Yukgaejang (육개장): In English, we can translate this to ‘spicy beef soup’! Gosari is typically an added vegetable ingredient.
- Gosari Namul (고사리나물): Gosari namul is a traditional Korean banchan (side dish) made with edible fernbrake (fiddlehead ferns).
This is just a glimpse of gosari in Korean cuisine. Fiddlehead ferns are used in many, many Korean dishes! If you would like to learn how to cook from a Korean cookbook, I recommend Maangchi or Korean Vegan!
Fiddlehead Fern (Gosari) Frequently Asked Questions:
Now that we learned about this Korean vegetable, I want to also answer some questions you may have about it! If I do not answer your question, feel free to leave a comment in the section below or email me at [email protected].
What Does Fiddlehead Fern Taste Like?
Gosari has a deeply earthy flavor that is reminiscent of mushrooms or other vegetation you would find on the forest floor. It has a chewy texture.
While the flavor is mild on its own, its taste is easily influenced by the other cooking ingredients.
Please note that you should always fully cook this ingredient. Many types of fiddlehead fern (such as the ones people in Korea typically use) are toxic until cooked with heat.
Where Can I Buy This Ingredient?
Unfortunately, this ingredient is not something sold in most of your typical grocery stores in the United States. Instead, you will need to look for this ingredient at your local Asian grocery or Korean market (such as H-Mart).
When shopping there, go to the dried vegetable section. There, you will find dried gosari that you can rehydrate when using it as an ingredient.
How Do I Properly Store Fiddlehead Fern (Gosari)?
As I briefly touched on in the section above, people in Korea typically buy dried fiddlehead fern. They store this dried vegetable in a cool, dry place (such as the pantry).
Then, when using this ingredient, they rehydrate it. Once rehydrated, you should store the gosari in the refrigerator.
Where to Buy Korean Ingredients Online?
Nowadays, there are many online options when ordering Korean food online. These websites are not limited to but include:
- Amazon
- H-mart
- Hanpoom
- Wooltari
- Seoul Mills
I Hope You Enjoyed Learning About Fiddlehead Fern (Gosari) in Korean Cooking!
In the end, I hope you enjoyed learning about fiddlehead fern (gosari) in Korean cooking. If so, let me know in the comment section!
If you would like to read more about cooking, you can find recipes as well as further Korean ingredient articles on my blog. I listed some of our favorite Carving A Journey recipes below! For reference, many recipes are influenced by my family’s blended Korean and Southern heritage.
Further Carving A Journey Recipes:
- Lotus Roots (Yeongeun)
- Korean Dried Radish Strips (Mumallaengi)
- Dried Kelp (Dashima)
- Dried Persimmon (Gotgam)
- Korean Pepper (Gochu)
- Garlic Chives (Buchu)
If you have any questions or comments, email me at [email protected]. And, finally, I would love to hear from you through my social media as well! You can follow me at @carvingajourney on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Or, if you would like more articles like these, you can subscribe to the blog by joining the mailing list. Once again, let me know if you try cooking with fiddlehead fern at home. Thank you so much for stopping by!
