I love all of the bomnamul (봄나물, spring greens) that come out in the markets after winter: There are so many, and they’re all so fresh and delicious.
AuthorSeoyoung Jung
Recipe: Mu gul-bap (radish oyster rice)
In Korea, a cold winter wind is a sign of many things, but one thing is for sure: Mu (무, Korean radishes) are getting sweeter and tastier, and it’s finally the right season for oysters again.
Recipe: Ganjang gaejang (soy sauce marinated raw crab)
There’s a reason why ganjang gaejang (간장게장) is one of the side dishes we call 밥도둑 (bap doduk), or “rice thief” in Korean.
Recipe: Maneul-jjong bokkeum, sautéed garlic scapes with shrimp
Smack dab in the middle of spring, we find huge bundles of beautiful bright green garlic scapes in the markets. You can pickle them in soy sauce but if you want to enjoy some right away, sautée and serve them as a banchan.
Recipe: Nogak muchim (old cucumber salad)
Nogak (노각), or old cucumber, is a cucumber that is aged on the vine until it develops a thick, golden skin and crunchy flesh.
Recipe: Ssuk gae-tteok, mugwort rice cake
Gae-tteok (개떡) is an easy rice cake made with fragrant green herbs.
Recipe: Tangpyeongchae, mung bean jelly salad
It’s not a well-known fact that tangpyeongchae (탕평채, mung bean jelly salad) is a traditional food for Ipchun (입춘), the first day of spring.
Recipe: Seomcho muchim, winter spinach banchan
Seomcho (섬초, also called pohangcho, 포항초) is a wonderfully sweet, delicious winter spinach.
Recipe: Hobak pyeonsu, summer squash dumplings
Pyeonsu (편수) are a kind of mandu (만두, dumpling) made with square wrappers and filled with either cucumber or ae-hobak (애호박, summer squash).