• What is burdock and what is it called in Japanese?
• Why do you soak burdock?
• What is Kinpira?
• My Kinpira Gobo Recipe
• Kinpira Gobo Instructions
• Fun Facts

What is burdock and what is it called in Japanese?

Burdock is a root vegetable. It is called "gobo" in Japanese. Burdock can grow up to 2 metres tall and the root can grow up to a metre long. The leaves are large and the plant has purple thistle-like flowers that when mature turn into brown burrs that are very prickly and stick to clothing and fur. In Asian countries like Japan burdock is cultivated as a vegetable. In Alberta it is considered an invasive species in the wild.

Burdock is a good source of type of fiber called inulin. It is a prebiotic that is good for your gut health. It is a crunchy vegetable that has an earthy flavour. In Japanese cuisine it is boiled in stews, used in a soy sauce flavoured stir fry, pickled in a sesame seed dressing and used in tempura. It is a popular vegetable in Japan. I find it at Superstore and Asian Food Shops in Canada.

Above is a photo of what burdock looks like when it is packaged at the store. Burdock is also sold cut in shorter pieces and wrapped in plastic wrap on a styrofoam tray.

Why do you soak burdock?

Soaking prevents the peeled and cut burdock from turning brown and removes some of the lye from the plant making it taste less bitter. When peeling and cutting burdock (gobo) you should soak it in water for about 3-5 minutes. Don't over-soak as this will cause the burdock to become water logged. Some people add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water as they believe it stops the browning better, but I skip this step. After soaking, rinse the burdock and pat dry and use right away.

What is Kinpira?

Kinpira is a Japanese cooking method that uses both sautéing and simmering when cooking. The most popular dish using this method of cooking is called Kinpira Gobo. Basically it is a stir-fry of root vegetables such as burdock (gobo), carrot, lotus root (renkon), in a small amount of sesame oil and seasoned with sugar, sake, soya sauce and sometimes mirin. Garnished with sesame seeds and/or Japanese cayenne pepper called ichimi or shichimi togarashi.

My Kinpira Gobo Recipe

Gluten-Free Kinpira Gobo and Carrot Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups burdock (gobo in Japanese) peeled and julienned.
• 3 cups carrot, peeled and julienned.
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 5 tablespoons sake
• 4 tablespoons mirin
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons gluten-free soya sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds for garnish
• optional: 1 teaspoon hot pepper powder such as Japanese togarashi either the shichimi or ichimi type. Or cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Wash your vegetables. Peel the burdock and carrots. Put the burdock in a bowl of water to keep it from going brown. Julianne the carrots (cut into small thin match sticks about two inches long). Do the same to the burdock.
2. In a large frying pan add the sesame oil. Drain the burdock and pat it dry, then add the burdock and carrots to the frying pan. On a medium heat, saute until the burdock and carrot are soft. Stir frequently so they don't burn.
3. Add the sake, mirin (if using), sugar, and gluten-free soya sauce and cook on low heat until liquid is gone. Stir frequently so that it is well mixed and doesn't burn.
4. When the vegetables are just soft and liquid has evaporated remove from heat, then sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish. Serve in a large bowl or small individual bowls. Sprinkle with hot pepper powder if you like.

Kinpira Gobo Instructions

Above are the ingredients I used for today's Kinpira Gobo.

I peel my burdock (gobo) with a vegetable peeler. You can also use the back of a knife to scrape the skin off or you can use a crumpled piece of tin foil to rub the skin off too. If the burdock is fresh then I do use the tin foil method, but in Canada most of the burdock sold is not fresh, so I find the skin to be a bit tough and like to peel it. Then while you are preparing the other ingredients soak the burdock in a bowl to keep it from turning brown and to remove some of the bitter taste.

Peel the carrot and then slice both vegetables into thin strips. I like to julienne them (cut into thin strips), but you can also shred them like sharpening a pencil with a knife. It is important that the strips are thin, so that they cook quickly.

After the vegetables are sliced and the burdock patted dry, heat up the sesame oil in a frying pan and add the vegetables and stir. Fry until they slightly soften, and then add the sake, mirin if using, sugar and gluten-free soya sauce. Turn the heat to low and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Keep stirring to prevent burning. When the liquid has evaporated sprinkle with white roasted sesame seeds (shiro goma). Serve in a bowl. Have cayenne pepper or Japanese togarashi on hand for people to add if they like.

You can use any root vegetable. You can make this dish with burdock only. Other vegetables such as renkon or daikon work well.

Kinpira gobo to ninjin (Burdock and Carrot Kinpira) has a slight crunchy texture with a sweet soya sauce flavour. It is great as part of a meal or in a bento for lunch. Goes well with rice.

Fun Facts

Burdock was the inspiration for velcro! In 1948 Swiss inventor George de Mestral noticed the burdock burrs sticking to his dogs fur when they were out for a walk, and it is said that this inspired him to invent velcro.

Kinpira is named after the son of the legendary folk hero character Kintaro. The character Kinpira is supposed to have superhuman strength and burdock is a tough vegetable therefore a strong vegetable. Kinpira Gobo is therefore named after this character.

Note: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Always seek out a medical opinion for medical concerns. Not sponsored. If sponsored I will always say so at the top of the post.