Korean Aster Leaf Soy Pickle

Quick answer

Total time: 26 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Chwinamul jangajji is a spring soy pickle made from aster greens that are blanched for only ten seconds to soften tough fibers while keeping their mountain-herb fragrance intact.

The blanched greens are squeezed thoroughly dry, then packed into a jar with sliced garlic and dried chili before a brine of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar is boiled, cooled to room temperature, and poured over the top. During the two to three days the jar spends refrigerating, the garlic's sharpness and the chili's low heat gradually infuse through every layer of the greens, while the aster's distinctive fresh, faintly bitter aroma meets the soy's umami to produce a finish that is both deep and clean. Once the seasoning distributes evenly, the jangajji can be eaten draped over plain rice or chopped fine and pressed into the center of rice balls as a savory filling.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

aster leaves420 gg

soy sauce200 mlml

water200 mlml

vinegar90 mlml

sugar85 gg

garlic cloves4 eaea

dried chili1 eaea

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Thoroughly wash 420 g of aster leaves three times in cold running water to remove dirt, trim away the thick tough stem ends with a knife, and cut into 5 cm pieces.
2

Finish

Place the leaves in boiling water with a pinch of salt and blanch for exactly 10 seconds to preserve the fragrance, then immediately submerge in cold water and squeeze firmly.
3

Prep

Press the squeezed leaves into a sterilized glass jar layer by layer, then insert 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1 dried chili into the spaces to add a subtle heat.
4

Control

Combine 200 ml soy sauce, 200 ml water, 90 ml vinegar, and 85 g sugar in a pot, then stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid reaches a boil.
5

Step

Remove the brine from heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes, then pour it over the aster leaves until fully submerged and seal the jar tightly to prevent air exposure.
6

Finish

Cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 2 to 3 days to allow the soy seasoning to penetrate deeply, then serve the fragrant aster leaves as a savory side dish.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Chwinamul aster leaves are blanched for ten seconds to soften texture without losing aroma.
Finish cue: Cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 2 to 3 days to allow the soy seasoning to penetrate deeply, then serve the fragrant aster leaves as a savory side dish.
Avoid this: Thoroughly wash 420 g of aster leaves three times in cold running water to remove dirt, trim away the thick tough stem ends with a knife, and cut into 5 cm pieces.
Storage and reheating: During the two to three days the jar spends refrigerating, the garlic's sharpness and the chili's low heat gradually infuse through every layer of the greens, while the aster's distinctive fresh, faintly bitter aroma meets the soy's umami to produce a finish that is both deep and clean.