Korean Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Stems
Quick answer
Goguma julgi - sweet potato stems - are the above-ground vines of the sweet potato plant, a byproduct that Korean cooks transform into a summer namul rather than discarding.
What makes this special
- Sweet potato stems peeled by fingernail, stir-fried with perilla oil, finished with perilla powder.
- Skin must be pulled off by fingernail to remove the tough fiber before cooking
- Perilla powder added last thickens the liquid and coats stems with nutty flavor
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Snap the end of each sweet potato stem and pull the outer skin downward in long strips.
- 2 Cut 300 g of peeled stems into 5 cm pieces and soak them in salted water for 30 minutes.
- 3 Add the stems to boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes.
Goguma julgi - sweet potato stems - are the above-ground vines of the sweet potato plant, a byproduct that Korean cooks transform into a summer namul rather than discarding. The most labor-intensive step is peeling each stem by hand, pinching the outer skin with a fingernail and pulling it away to reveal the tender core beneath. After blanching for two minutes and rinsing in cold water, the stems are stir-fried in perilla oil with garlic and seasoned with soup soy sauce. Perilla powder stirred in at the end thickens the remaining liquid into a nutty glaze. In season during summer, the stems are harvested from sweet potato fields before the tubers themselves are dug up.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Snap the end of each sweet potato stem and pull the outer skin downward in long strips.
Check for any tough fibers left on the surface, because they stay stringy even after stir-frying.
- 2Season
Cut 300 g of peeled stems into 5 cm pieces and soak them in salted water for 30 minutes.
When they soften slightly and lose some stiffness, rinse them briefly in fresh water.
- 3Heat
Add the stems to boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes.
As soon as they turn a clear olive green, cool them in cold water, then squeeze firmly to remove excess moisture.
- 4Control
Heat a skillet over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons of perilla oil and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic.
Stir for only about 30 seconds, stopping before the garlic browns so the oil stays clean-tasting.
- 5Control
Add the stems, 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce, and 60 ml of water, then stir-fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Cook until the liquid reduces by half and the stems look slightly translucent.
- 6Finish
Stir in 2 tablespoons of perilla seed powder and mix quickly for under 1 minute, just until the liquid thickens and coats the stems. Turn off the heat, add 15 g of green onion, and serve warm.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
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