Korean Pickled Alpine Leek Leaves

Quick answer

Total time: 28 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Myeongi jangajji is a Korean soy-pickled preserve made from alpine leek leaves, a wild mountain herb harvested in early spring.

The leaves are rolled into a sterilized jar with sliced green chili, then covered with a boiling brine of soy sauce, vinegar, water, and sugar. Pouring the hot liquid partially blanches the leaf surface, locking in a vivid green color while the interior stays raw and pungent. After two to three days of refrigeration the brine penetrates fully, tempering the raw garlic intensity into a mellow, fragrant heat balanced by soy saltiness and vinegar tang. These pickled leaves are traditionally wrapped around grilled pork belly or bulgogi, where their aromatic acidity cuts through the rendered fat.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
alpine leek leaves	250	g
soy sauce	120	ml
vinegar	120	ml
water	120	ml
sugar	3	tbsp
hot green chili	1	ea

Instructions

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

6 steps

1

Prep

Wash 250g of alpine leek leaves one by one under cold running water, cleaning both sides.

Spread them out in a single layer and dry completely, because trapped water can dilute the brine and cause off flavors.
2

Prep

Pack the dry leaves neatly into a sterilized glass jar, folding them gently if needed without crushing the stems.

Slice 1 hot green chili into 0.5cm pieces and tuck the slices between the leaf layers.
3

Season

Add 120ml each soy sauce, vinegar, and water to a pot with 3 tablespoons sugar.

Heat over high, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then let the brine come to a strong bubbling boil.
4

Heat

When the brine reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat immediately and rest it for only 3 minutes.

Use it while still hot enough to lightly blanch the leaf surfaces and keep the green color bright.
5

Step

Pour the warm brine slowly down the inside of the jar until the leaves are fully submerged.

Press floating leaves down with a clean spoon to release trapped air and expose every surface to the liquid.
6

Finish

Cool the jar completely at room temperature before sealing, then refrigerate.

After 2-3 days, taste for balanced soy saltiness, vinegar tang, and softened garlic aroma, then serve the leaves with grilled pork belly or bulgogi.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Myeongi-jangajji preserves the pungent, mountain garlic aroma of early spring leek leaves.
Finish cue: Cool the jar completely at room temperature before sealing, then refrigerate.
Storage and reheating: After two to three days of refrigeration the brine penetrates fully, tempering the raw garlic intensity into a mellow, fragrant heat balanced by soy saltiness and vinegar tang.