Korean Seasoned Bracken Fern
Quick answer
Gosari, the Korean name for bracken fern, is one of the oldest foraged vegetables in Korean cooking, with consumption records tracing back to the Three Kingdoms period.
What makes this special
- Bracken fern soaked overnight, boiled fully, then seasoned with perilla oil to draw out its forest aroma.
- Overnight soak then full boil unlocks bracken's chewy fiber
- Perilla oil's grassy note amplifies bracken's wild forest aroma
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Gently squeeze excess water from 200 g boiled bracken fern, then cut it into 5 to 6 cm lengths.
- 2 Finely mince 2 garlic cloves before heating the pan so they are ready to add quickly.
- 3 Add the bracken fern and stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Gosari, the Korean name for bracken fern, is one of the oldest foraged vegetables in Korean cooking, with consumption records tracing back to the Three Kingdoms period. It is a mandatory component of bibimbap and a required dish on jesa, the ancestral rite table set for ceremonies honoring the dead. Dried gosari must soak overnight in cold water and then boil until the tough, wiry fibers relax into a distinctively springy, almost elastic chew that no fresh vegetable can replicate. The rehydrated fern is stir-fried in perilla oil with minced garlic until fragrant, then a small amount of soup soy sauce and water goes in and the pan is covered to let the liquid absorb and the fern braise briefly. This short braising step is what rounds the flavor and ensures the seasoning penetrates the fibrous strands rather than sitting only on the surface. Perilla oil is the traditional fat of choice rather than sesame oil because its green, herbal quality pairs more naturally with the woodsy, forest-floor flavor of gosari, amplifying rather than competing with it. Large batches are typically made during Chuseok or Seollal and eaten over several days, as the flavor improves and deepens as the dish sits.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Gently squeeze excess water from 200 g boiled bracken fern, then cut it into 5 to 6 cm lengths.
Check the base ends as you cut, and discard any pieces that still feel stiff or stringy when pressed.
- 2Control
Finely mince 2 garlic cloves before heating the pan so they are ready to add quickly.
Add 1 tablespoon perilla oil to a skillet and warm it over medium heat for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- 3Control
Add the bracken fern and stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Toss and separate the strands so the perilla oil coats them evenly, but do not let the pan run dry or the fern may toughen.
- 4Season
Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and the minced garlic, then stir-fry for 1 more minute.
Stop this stage when the garlic smells aromatic and the bracken darkens slightly, before the garlic browns or turns bitter.
- 5Control
Pour in 100 ml water, cover the pan, and lower the heat to medium-low.
Braise for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the liquid is mostly absorbed into the fibrous strands.
- 6Step
Turn off the heat when only a little liquid remains on the bottom of the pan.
Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toss gently, and let the dish cool slightly before serving.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
Recipes That Go Well With This
More Side dishes →Based on shared ingredients and meal pairing
Korean Bracken Fern Namul with Perilla
This perilla-scented bracken fern namul begins by pre-seasoning 250 grams of boiled bracken with soup soy sauce, minced garlic, and half the perilla oil for five minutes so the flavor seeps into the chewy fibers. Green onion is sauteed briefly in the remaining perilla oil to build an aromatic base before the seasoned bracken joins the pan for a two-minute stir-fry that drives off excess moisture. Adding water and ground perilla seeds, then simmering gently for five minutes, transforms the dish into a lightly sauced namul where every strand carries a nutty, earthy depth. Sesame seeds scattered at the end add a visual accent and a faint crunch that complements the bracken's dense chew.
Korean Stir-fried Bracken Fern
Gosari-bokkeum is a classic Korean side dish of rehydrated bracken fern stir-fried with soy sauce, minced garlic, and perilla oil. The fern absorbs the nutty perilla aroma during cooking, while soy sauce layers in a deep, earthy savoriness. Its texture stays tender with a slight bite, making it easy to eat alongside other dishes. Gosari-bokkeum is a staple component of bibimbap and appears on nearly every Korean holiday table as one of the essential namul dishes. It is often paired with other seasonal greens like wild garlic or chamnamul to round out a traditional spread.
Korean Pollock Jeon (Egg-Battered Pan-Fried Pollock)
Dongtae-jeon is a Korean pan-fried pollock dish where thin slices of frozen-then-thawed pollock are seasoned with salt, pepper, and cheongju (rice wine), lightly dredged in flour, dipped in beaten egg, and fried in a thin layer of oil. Because frozen pollock releases significant moisture when thawed, pressing it thoroughly with paper towels is a critical step without it, the flour coating will not adhere and the oil will splatter. The flour layer should be thin enough that it barely coats the surface, preserving the fish's mild flavor, and cooking over medium-low heat gives the egg batter time to turn golden while keeping the fish inside soft and flaky. Mixing finely chopped green onion into the egg batter before dipping adds a subtle allium fragrance to the otherwise clean-tasting fish. A staple at Korean ancestral rites and holiday spreads, it is served with soy dipping sauce that draws out the savory, delicate flavor of the pollock.
Korean Seasoned Spinach (Garlic Sesame Oil Blanched Namul)
Sigeumchi-namul blanches 300 grams of spinach in salted boiling water for exactly 30 seconds - any longer and the leaves turn mushy. An immediate rinse in cold water stops the cooking and locks in the bright green color. After squeezing out as much water as possible, the spinach is cut into 5-centimeter lengths and dressed by hand with minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. Mixing by hand rather than with utensils ensures the seasoning reaches every fold and crevice of the wilted leaves. Sesame seeds finish the dish with a light crunch, and the result is a clean, nutty-flavored namul that appears on nearly every Korean home-cooked table.
Serve with this
Korean Braised Flounder with Radish
Gajami mu jorim is a Korean braised flounder dish in which flounder pieces and thick slices of Korean radish are cooked down together in a soy sauce and gochugaru broth until the liquid reduces to a concentrated, savory glaze. The radish absorbs the fat and juices released from the fish as it braises, soaking up the spicy seasoning until each slice becomes as flavorful and satisfying as the fish itself. Gochugaru and fresh Cheongyang chili provide a clean, penetrating heat, while soy sauce contributes deep umami and minced garlic adds a sharp aromatic backbone to the broth. Allowing the liquid to reduce until only a small amount remains thickens the sauce significantly, and spooning that concentrated braising liquid over plain steamed rice is one of the most common ways to finish the meal, with the sauce soaking into the grains and making it nearly impossible to stop eating. Flounder's naturally lean, delicate flesh, which pulls apart easily along the grain, pairs well with the extended braising method, which keeps the fish moist while infusing it with the bold seasonings. This combination of practical cooking technique and deep, satisfying flavor has made gajami mu jorim one of the most enduring everyday fish side dishes in Korean home cooking.
Korean Thistle Greens & Mackerel Stir-fry
Gondre godeungeo bokkeum pairs pan-seared mackerel with blanched gondre thistle greens in a gochujang-soy stir-fry. The mackerel is first marinated briefly in ginger juice to reduce any sharpness, then seared on both sides until a firm, golden crust forms. That outer layer keeps the fish intact during the final toss with the greens. Gondre is pre-seasoned in perilla oil and garlic to draw out its earthy, herbal fragrance before hitting the pan, and squeezing out the excess moisture is essential so the sauce stays concentrated rather than watery. The gochujang-soy combination brings heat, depth, and a subtle sweetness that bridges the rich umami of the fatty fish and the grassy character of the greens. Gondre from the Gangwon-do highlands has a mild, nutty quality once blanched that holds its own alongside oily blue-backed fish. The dish works equally well as a rice accompaniment or a drinking snack.
Korean Pork Bone Hangover Soup
Ppyeo-haejang-guk is a Korean hangover soup built on a foundation of pork neck bones simmered for well over an hour until their collagen dissolves into a heavy, full-bodied stock. The bones are soaked and blanched beforehand to eliminate any off-flavors, and the resulting broth is clean despite its richness. Blanched napa cabbage outer leaves are pre-seasoned with doenjang, gochugaru, garlic, and soup soy sauce before being added to the pot, where they absorb the meaty broth and release their own earthy flavors in return. Perilla seed powder is stirred in at the end, thickening the liquid to a creamy consistency and adding a nutty finish. The completed soup is spicy, deeply savory, and thick enough to feel restorative after a long night. In Korea, this style of haejang-guk is a morning-after institution, served steaming in dedicated restaurants that open before dawn.
Similar recipes
Korean Seasoned Carrot Namul
Carrot namul is one of the five-color banchan Koreans prepare for ancestral rites, where the orange of carrot represents fire in the traditional symbolic scheme. Julienned thin, the carrots are salted briefly to pull out excess moisture, then stir-fried with minced garlic over medium heat for two to three minutes - just enough to cook off the raw edge while preserving an audible crunch in every strand. No soy sauce or chili powder enters the pan; seasoning is kept to salt alone so that the carrot's natural sweetness remains the central flavor rather than being buried under stronger condiments. A final drizzle of sesame oil and a scatter of sesame seeds round out this clean, single-ingredient side dish that earns its place on both ceremonial tables and everyday meals.
Korean Seasoned Amaranth Greens
Amaranth greens, biryeom in Korean, are a short-season summer vegetable with deep green, purple-tinged leaves that bleed red into the blanching water. They need to come out in under a minute or the leaves lose their structure. After squeezing out the water, the greens are dressed with doenjang, soup soy sauce, garlic, and scallion. Perilla oil stands in for sesame oil, lending a herbal, grass-edged nuttiness that matches the mineral character of amaranth. The leaves are firmer than spinach or mallow, so the dressing clings without the greens collapsing into a wet mass. The unsaturated fats in perilla oil also increase the nutritional density of the dish. A countryside banchan available only during its brief summer window.
Korean Bracken Fern Pickles
Gosari jangajji is a Korean pickled bracken fern made by submerging boiled bracken stems in a brine of dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and rice wine. The fern's earthy, nutty aroma weaves together with the soy umami in layers, deepening with each bite as the flavors come into focus. Though the stems are boiled until soft, the plant's natural fiber retains enough structure to give a satisfying chew, and dried chili and garlic added to the brine contribute a quiet warmth that builds gradually. Vinegar's acidity cuts through the heavier, loamy earthiness that raw bracken can carry, leaving the aftertaste clean and bright. Refrigerated, the jangajji keeps comfortably for over a week, making it a practical, ready-to-serve banchan. For anyone familiar only with gosari namul, this pickled version is a worthwhile discovery.
Tips
Nutrition (per serving)
Variations
Fernbrake Namul with Doenjang
Fernbrake Namul with Doenjang highlights boiled fernbrake and doenjang. It has a clean, nutty finish with a soft but springy bite.
Bracken Fern Namul with Perilla
Bracken Fern Namul with Perilla highlights boiled bracken fern and perilla oil. It has a clean, nutty finish with a soft but springy bite.