Nogak (노각), or old cucumber, is a cucumber that is aged on the vine until it develops a thick, golden skin and crunchy flesh.
Categoryingredients
local, seasonal Korean ingredients
Yeongeun: Lotus root
The lotus is a lovely plant, and in Korea every single part of it has a purpose.
Korean chilies 101
Korean food isn’t always spicy—there are plenty of mild, savory dishes without that well-known spicy kick. But spicy flavors are popular, and we have the gochu (고추, chili) to thank for that.
Hamcho: Samphire, glasswort, sea asparagus
Travel along the southwest coast in summer and you may come across a bright green, succulent-like plant stretching upwards like a tiny tree from the mudflat. This is hamcho (함초, samphire or glasswort, Salicornia herbacea),
Six Korean spring clams
Spring brings all kinds of good things to the fish market, and one of these is the bounty of fresh clams.
Dureup, the king of spring: Aralia elata shoots
One of the last spring greens to grace the markets each year is dureup (두릅, Aralia elata shoots), a mildly bitter and fragrant vegetable.
Meonggae: Sea pineapple
You may have seen this grenade-shaped creature, a fiery-red sunset color, floating around in tanks at seafood restaurants and fish markets starting in spring.
10 Korean spring greens you should know
For those of us who’ve grown up abroad, shopping at Korean grocery stores can be both a beautiful and bewildering experience. What is this root? This tangle of leaves? How can I make it delicious?
Jukkumi: Webfoot octopus
When the breezes begin to lose their winter bite, usually in March here in Korea, we start talking about jukkumi (주꾸미, webfoot octopus).