Kinpira Gobo Japanese Burdock Recipe

For my version, I like to use a combination of carrots and gobo root, which gives it a nice color and a great spread of vitamins and minerals. Thanks to the earthy flavor of the root vegetables and the umami from the soy sauce and sake, this Kinpira recipe doesn’t include any dashi, making it both vegetarian and vegan friendly.

Why This Recipe Works?

Cutting the vegetables with the grain in a thin julienne preserves their crunchy texture while still tender enough to eat. Soaking the burdock in acidified water during preparation keeps it from oxidizing, preserving its light color. Kinpira Gobo tastes best after resting overnight in the fridge, so it makes for a great make-ahead bento item or a side dish for busy weekday dinners.

Ingredients for Kinpira Gobo

Gobo (burdock) - Gobo is the Japanese name for burdock root. Although it may go by other names (Chinese: niúbàng Korean: u-eong) it’s a popular vegetable in Asia so you should be able to find fresh burdock at Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find it in stores, it might be possible to forage for it, but make sure you check that the variety growing near you is edible. Vinegar - Due to the enzymatic browning of polyphenols, burdock oxidizes very quickly. To prevent it from discoloring, I recommend soaking it in acidified water while you prepare it. I used rice vinegar, but anything acidic that doesn’t have a strong taste will work here. Citric acid and lemon juice are a few examples of other ingredients you can use. Carrot - Kinpira Gobo is usually made with a combination of carrots and burdock, but if you can’t find burdock, you can also make it with carrots alone. Oil - I like using a neutral flavored oil like vegetable oil, however some people like to use toasted sesame oil. Sake - Sake is added as a flavorful liquid to help steam the vegetables. Sake is also a rich source of amino acids, which produce the umami taste. The alcohol in the sake will evaporate during cooking, so you don’t need to worry about that. You can learn more about the role of sake in Japanese food here. You can also use mirin in place of the sake, but you will want to skip the sugar. Soy sauce - Soy sauce is the primary seasoning ingredient for Kinpira Gobo. Any dark Japanese soy sauce such as Kikkoman will work. Sugar - Japanese foods balance salty and savory tastes with sweetness. I like using dark brown sugar for Kinpira Gobo because its caramel and molasses notes complement the earthy root vegetables. Salt - Although Kinrpira can be seasoned with soy sauce alone, I prefer using a little less soy sauce and supplementing with salt. This preserves the bright colors of the vegetables and keeps them from turning brown. Toasted sesame seeds - Toasted sesame seeds added at the end contribute a nutty flavor and a fun poppy texture to the dish. Red chili pepper - This is optional, but I like my Kinpira Gobo to have a bit of heat, which is why I like to add some chili flakes to the oil at the very beginning. You can also serve this with shichimi pepper at the heat level can be adjusted to taste.

How to cut gobo for Kinpira

You first want to prepare a bowl of cold water and acidify it by adding a neutral-tasting vinegar, lemon juice, or a pinch of citric acid. This will prevent the gobo root from oxidizing and turning gray. Wash the burdock and scrub it with a clean abrasive sponge or a wadded-up piece of aluminum foil. Burdock peel can be eaten, but I usually like to peel it with a vegetable peeler for Kinpira Gobo. The gobo will quickly oxidize once you peel it, so I recommend working in small segments and then cutting the peeled parts into 2-3 inch lengths that you can drop in the acidified water. Once you’ve peeled and cut up all of the gobo, cut each piece into thin slices. I usually cut one or two slices from one side and then roll the root onto the flat spot so it doesn’t move around. Then you want to line the slices up in a staggered stack and then cut the slices into thin strips. They don’t have to be perfect, but I try to get the strips under 1.5mm in thickness. Finally, return the cut gobo to the bowl of acidified water. Because burdock is so thin and fibrous, I do not recommend using a mandoline to julienne it.

How to Make Kinpira Gobo

Before cooking the Kinpira, strain the gobo and rinse it under cold water to remove the vinegar. Shake the strainer vigorously to drain it well. Into a frying pan over high heat, add the vegetable oil and chili flakes and swirl them around. Add the drained gobo and carrots and stir-fry them until they start to wilt. Add the brown sugar and continue stir-frying until all of the water released by the veggies has evaporated. This should take about two minutes. Pour the sake, soy sauce, and salt over the gobo and carrots, and then continue to stir-fry until the sauce has created a glaze around the gobo and there is no liquid remaining in the pan (another 2-3 minutes). Finish the Kinpira Gobo by tossing in the toasted sesame seeds and stirring to distribute. It’s worth noting that Kinpira tastes better the next day, and it will keep for up to a week in the fridge, so I usually like to make a big batch to eat throughout the week.