MINARI
HOW TO COOK, EAT & GROW
Minari (water dropwort) is a fragrant vegetable that’s used extensively in Korean cooking.
HOW TO: EAT
Minari has a grassy, slightly peppery and mildly bitter aftertaste
There are many ways to enjoy this wonderful plant. You can enjoy this raw in salads (muchim), slightly blanched then made into namul, in kimchi and added to stews (jjigae). The bottom ends are usually too fibrous so you want to cut them away
ADD TO KIMCHMI I love adding Minari to Kimchi, especially Water or Nabak Kimchi as it adds a great freshness and texture to the dish.
ADD TO FISH STEWS Koreans love to add minari to seafood stews (Haemul Jjiggae or Jeongol) because it really brightens the flavor.
WHAT TO MAKE
Koreans have long believed that Minari has great health benefits, good for your liver and also for your blood (cleanses? the blood) which is then said to help lower your blood pressure.
The best way to keep this vegetable fresh is to wrap the bottom end part with a wet paper towel then keep it upright in the fridge in a container or jar. It will keep for up to a week.
HOW TO: STORE
To store longer, you can blanch them, put them in ice bath, squeeze excess water then freeze in a plastic bag for later.
HOW TO: GROW
Ideal growing temperatures. It will not grow in temps under 50℉ nor does it like temps over 90℉ Soil – grows in a marsh like very wet soil or will grow in 20 inch deep water. Sun – prefers part shade so the soil can keep very moist How to start – it is hard to get Minari seeds in the US but the great thing is that it’s very easy to root them. Will grow up to 7-20 inch (20-50cm) tall.
"This plant helps with thirst, clears your head, helps with hangovers by helping the liver get rid of toxins and also helps in aiding the circulation of the small and large intestines."