vegetable

A variety of water dropwort, this leafy green is also known as Korean watercress, water celery, water parsley, or Java water dropwort. This vegetable is native to temperate and tropical climates across Asia as well as Queensland, Australia. You can easily find it growing, unrestrained, along the banks of streams, creeks, and rivers as well as over damp soil from standing water. 

While uncommon in western cooking, different types of bean sprouts have been used by many East Asian cultures in their cultural cooking. Mung bean sprouts are no exception. You can find these sprouts used all across Asia in some of the most culturally influential dishes internationally. For example, think of mung bean sprouts used in the Thai dish pad thai, the Vietnamese dish pho, and the Korean dish bibimbap. In South Korea, while used less often than soybean sprouts, people use mung beans as a fresh and crunchy ingredient to a multitude of dishes. Here, we will discuss the use of mung bean sprouts in Korean cooking as well as discuss the cultural significance of this ingredient. Let’s get started!

These days, I am continually working toward preparing food and ingredients in a less wasteful and more conscientious way. Freezing food and ingredients is a popular method used when trying to reduce waste. While it is true that ginger root can keep in the fridge for an extremely long time, we often forget about it as it gets shoved further and further behind leftovers and other ingredients. Here, we will discuss whether or not you can freeze ginger. Then, I will give helpful tips and tricks for freezing ginger. Finally, I will give you step-by-step instructions on how to freeze ginger! 

Napa cabbage is a variety of Chinese cabbage native to the Beijing region. Famously, this vegetable has a long barrel shape with a mildly sweet flavor. In South Korea, people refer to napa cabbage as ‘baechu’ (배추) and is used in many important cultural dishes.

While uncommon in the United States, people in South Korea often eat a leafy green herb known as a ‘perilla leaf.’ These leaves are slightly bitter and spicy with a grassy note. In this post, we will discuss the perilla leaf. Specifically, we will learn about the leafy green, how people in Korea use it, and where to buy it.