Korean Gangwon Gondre Rice
Quick answer
- Total time
- 50 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Gondre, a wild thistle green long foraged in the mountains of Gangwon province, is soaked, squeezed thoroughly dry, and spread in an even layer over uncooked rice before the pot goes on the heat.
Read more
The three-stage cooking method, starting at high heat for five minutes, then dropping to medium-low for ten and finishing at low for ten more, followed by a ten-minute covered rest off the heat, produces evenly cooked grains infused with the greens' earthy, grassy scent. Squeezing out the soaking water is not optional; any excess moisture left in the gondre will make the rice mushy. The rice itself is deliberately plain, designed to carry a soy-based dressing of garlic, green onion, chili flakes, and sesame oil that is mixed in at the table. That dressing provides a sharp, savory contrast to the mild, herbaceous notes of the gondre. Fresh spring gondre harvested at peak season delivers the most intense fragrance, though well-soaked dried gondre comes close and extends the dish to all four seasons. Making a larger batch of the dressing allows the same pot of rice to be eaten over several days.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Rinse 360g rice and soak it in cold water for 20 minutes.
Rinse 140g soaked dried gondre lightly, squeeze it firmly, and cut it into 3cm lengths.
- 2Step
Put the soaked rice in the pot and pour in 480ml water.
Spread the squeezed gondre evenly over the rice and separate any clumps.
- 3Control
Heat on high for 5 minutes to bring the water to a full boil.
Reduce to medium-low for 10 minutes, then to the lowest setting for another 10 minutes. This staged heat reduction determines the rice's final sticky texture.
- 4Step
Turn off the heat and keep the lid on for 10 minutes to steam.
Open and fold the gondre and rice together thoroughly with a rice paddle so the greens are evenly distributed throughout.
- 5Season
Mix 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp minced green onion, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp gochugaru, and 1 tbsp sesame oil in a small bowl.
- 6Finish
Serve the gondre rice in a bowl alongside the seasoning sauce.
Spoon the sauce over the rice and mix before eating to bring out the distinctive soft, herbal fragrance of the greens.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Gangwon gondre bap brings the herbal scent of mountain thistle greens into every grain of steamed rice.
- Finish cue
- Spoon the sauce over the rice and mix before eating to bring out the distinctive soft, herbal fragrance of the greens.
- Avoid this
- Squeeze gondre well to prevent soggy rice.
Troubleshooting While Cooking
Use these adjustments when the food is not behaving as expected.
- Squeeze gondre well to prevent soggy rice.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
50min, 8 ingredients
Category median
40min, 8 ingredients
Based on 309 recipes
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