It is hard and looks like a tree root, but it gets quite soft when cooked and then it has a mild but distinct flavor. The root is sweet, mild and earthy with a taste similar to artichoke; some say the flavor can be slightly astringent. Burdock is Gobo in Japanese. It’s crunchy, creamy, and crisp. Burdock Varieties. However, it’s mainly cultivated in Japan, where it is called gobo. It also smudges easily and isn’t convenient in everyday life, so it’s used mainly for graphite drawings. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ Another is burdock makizushi, rolled sushi filled with pickled burdock root; the burdock root is often artificially colored orange to resemble a carrot. Japanese Cooking 101 © 2018 Oishii America. It is also an essential ingredient in the Japanese dish kinpira, a type of slaw made with julienned Burdock root, carrot, dried chile peppers, and soy sauce. Gobo is the Japanese name for burdock root, and it is a very popular root vegetable in Japan. Thanks. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Wash the gobo and slice it thinly using a peeler. Place the gobo in a bowl and dust with potato starch. Gobo is the Japanese name for burdock root, which is a popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Gobo comes from Japanese cuisine where both the burdock leaves, roots, and stems are used extensively. Pickled gobo often is used in sushi and tempura dishes. It is when something is sauteed and simmered or braised in sake, mirin and soy sauce base sauce. Kinpira gobo is a quintessential dish of Japanese home cooking. While there are many popular roots used in Japanese cooking including Kabu (turnip), Jagaimo (potato), Satoimo (taro root), Nagaimo (yam), Renkon (lotus root), Gobo (burdock root), Ninjin (carrot), Tamanegi (onion) and Shoga (ginger), perhaps none are as popular as the Daikon (giant white radish) and Satsumaimo (sweet potato). Though Gobo doesn’t contain very many vitamins, it has a lot of fiber and minerals. Gobo is so plentiful, and free, it’s a wonder more vegans are not chasing it. google_ad_client: "ca-pub-9532605816979415", In Japan, it is used with pork in miso soup and Japanese rice pilaf dishes. Burdock has been an important botanical in Western folk herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, primarily valued for its cleansing and skin smoothing properties. It is very fast to make and can be made ahead of time. Gobo (burdock, in English) is a root vegetable with a sweet, mild flavour that can be substituted for or used alongside carrots and turnips. Once you can identify burdock, you’ll see it everywhere. It is also known as niúbàng 牛蒡 in Chinese and ueong ( 우엉 ) in Korean. It is a very common vegetable used in everyday Japanese home cooking - boiled, stir fried, deep fried, stewed, baked, braised as well as taken in form of a gobo tea to enjoy the full benefits of it's nutritional value. You can also find yamagobo in sushi rolls. A typical Japanese home cooking dish, Braised Burdock (Kinpira Gobō) is a vegetable side dish. This salad involves combining lightly boiled burdock and carrot slices with a savoury sauce of soy sauce, mayonnaise, and sesame oil. Kinpira is usually referred to as a way of cooking vegetables. Read about its benefits for your health and how you can grow it in your garden. It is essential if you are trying to make an authentic version of the Japanese dish kinpira gobo. It’s most commonly made with burdock root (known as gobo in Japanese) and carrots, and you may also find kinpira renkon (lotus root Its coarse, thin skin is typically covered in dirt. Kinpira Gobo is a popular side dish in Japan, and something you would find in bento boxes, mom’s or grandma’s cooking. (You can also use corn starch). It is commonly used to cook root vegetables such as carrot, burdock (to make kinpira gobo) and lotus root, seaweeds such as arame and hijiki and other foods including tofu and wheat gluten (namafu), and even meat (chicken, pork, beef). There may be a detox effect on you if you eat regularly. Burdock root is found throughout much of Eastern Europe, as well as parts of Britain, and even Hawaii and California. The edible root is about 6" long. Somewhat resembling a rather long, dirty parsnip (2-3 feet long! Pickled gobo is eaten widely in Japan as a good condiment to main dishes. Gobo is burdock root and a very popular vegetable in Japan. Let’s take a closer look at these two staples of Japanese cuisine. It is often cut Sasagaki (between shaved and sliced) with a knife or peeler, like when you sharpen your pencils with knife (nobody does that today!?). Actually some pencils are still sharpened like that! In miso soup (tonjiru) 4 Tbsp Sake. Greater burdock, Gobo in Japanese, and its healing root. Kinpira Gobo Recipe INGREDIENTS: 120 grams Gobo (Burdock Root) 60 grams Carrot. Though Gobo doesn’t contain very many vitamins, it has a lot of fiber and minerals. Gobo is the Japanese name for burdock root. deep fried gobo- make like french fries after dipping in flour (arguably a better flavour than french fires) Nagaimo (Dioscorea opposita, Chinese yam). Soft graphite pencils (5-6-7-8 B) are best if sharpened with a sharp knife or scalpel because soft graphite is fragile. Gobo can be used in Nimono (boiled and seasoned vegetables), Miso Soup, salads, and many many more dishes. Your best bet: Chicory root 1988 , Brant S. Rogers, Culinary Botany: The Essential Handbook : While oriental and specialty markets sell Gobo root to Japanese cooks, herbal medicine enthusiasts use common burdock. What can I swap for this if I can’t find it. Traditionally, for kinpira gobo … Please do not use photos or recipes on this website without written permission. If you cannot find it, you may be able to replace it with one of the burdock root substitutes below. Kinpira means a cooking style that you stir fry and simmer with sugar and soy sauce. Its coarse, thin skin is typically covered in dirt. Gobo root is the Japanese name for the root of the greater burdock (Arctium lappa) plant. 2 Tsp Sesame Oil. Gather the sliced gobo and carrot and cut them into short thin strips. How to Cut & Prepare Kinpira. Started with Japanese shallot pickles, today we make over fifty kinds of pickle products including the ever-popular gobo (burdock root) pickles. The physical appearance resembles daikon radish but the flavor is much milder and sweeter. It is often served shredded and raw with soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, and sesame oil. Healthy and easy to make. Originating from the Siberian region of Northern Asia and in use as a vegetable in Europe during the Middle Ages, it is particularly popular in Japanese cuisine and Chinese herbal medicine. While carrots tend to be juicy and sweet, burdock root has an earthy crunch all of its own, unlike anything else we’ve come across in our travels. All Rights Reserved. This special Japanese variety is grown for its delicate edible leaves. In Japanese cooking, gobo is used as an ingredient in many dishes and is favored for its many health benefits. It is hard and looks like a tree root, but it gets quite soft when cooked and then it has a mild but distinct flavor. Gobo and carrots are sauteed and seasoned with mirin, soy and sesame … My favorite is gobo sushi roll, where pickled gobo is rolled in sushi rice and seaweed sheet to … On my walks with my wee dog I pass hundreds of Burdock plants. Gobo is the Japanese name for it, where it’s mostly used for cooking. Edible burdock root is gobo in Japanese and burdock leaf is ha gobo. There may … A popular Japanese dish is kinpira gobō, julienned or shredded burdock root and carrot, braised with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and/or sake, and sesame oil. Gobo or burdock root is a vegetable that really tastes Japanese to me. Gobo, or  burdock root is a perennial plant and is long and slender, growing anywhere from one to three feet in length. Gobo is a fun name for Japanese Burdock root aka artichoke that has a crispy, earthy, and sweet taste. Introducing how to cook gobo (burdock root) in 3 different ways-- Japanese style. There may be a detox effect on you if you eat regularly. Burdock root is especially prevalent in Japanese cuisine and is known as Gobo root. 1.5 Tbsp Soy Sauce. 2. The thick white stalk is about 12" long and the light green leaves are tender. Burdock root is a root vegetable used mostly in dishes from Japan and Taiwan. Thank you for your understanding. INSTRUCTIONS: Peel the gobo and carrot’s skin with a peeler. Cut the root into 4 inch length segments, then quarter each root lengthwise. Once scrubbed clean, it is a rusty beige color with an appearance similar to a brown carrot; its flesh, a crisp off-white contrast. If you spotted burdock roots in your Asian markets before, you’ve probably wondered what the … Known as gobo in Japan, burdock is a 2 foot long and (let’s be honest) rather ugly little root vegetable that looks like a long and flexible brown carrot, if you tilt your head and squint. 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