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If you are a vegetarian, vegan, or just someone who wants to indulge in a meal packed with nutrients, then Kinpira Gobo is a great choice. Gobo is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals and has been used for centuries in holistic medicine.

I have loved this recipe since I was a child and my mother tells me stories all the time about how I would always request Kinpira Gobo for dinner. It’s a bit unusual for a child to request this dish as it’s a bit spicy and is not sweet. I loved carrots and would always choose that over sweets, so it’s probably another reason why I loved this dish so much.

What is Gobo?

Gobo is burdock root and a very common vegetable in Japan. Not only did I eat this vegetable at home, but it’s commonly found as a side dish in bento boxes. It’s hard for me to put into words what it tastes like, but it has an earthy yet semi-sweet flavor to it.

Gobo is one of the Japanese superfoods I mentioned before and it has numerous health benefits from microbe-fighting properties, anti-aging properties, and (potential) cancer-fighting remedies. So yea, this stuff is pretty amazing.

Where To Buy Gobo

Gobo will be pretty difficult to find in American grocery stores and the one time I have found it at Gelson’s, the quality was really bad. I was pretty shocked to see that the gobo was limp and very dry. That is the opposite of what a healthy burdock root will look like which is very firm.

Your best bet is to go to an Asian grocery store to find burdock root. Also, it’s very inexpensive. It is typically sold in a two-pack at around $1.50. I recently purchased a pack of two at my local Japanese market for $1.44.

Convenient Kitchen Tools

Kitchen Scale

To measure my ingredients, I use my handy little kitchen scale. There are a ton of fancy scales out there, but I use this cheap one and have had it for more than several years now.

Vegetable Peeler

The most tedious part of this dish is the peeling; therefore, having a good peeler will make a world of a difference. If the vegetables aren’t cut very thin, the seasonings will not permeate the veggies and you will be disappointed with the raw tasting flavors of the dish. I got my peeler from IKEA many years ago and it still works like it’s brand new.

Cooking Chopsticks

I almost always sauté with my cooking chopsticks. They are slightly longer and thicker than the chopsticks I use to eat with. Cooking chopsticks offer more control and precision, which means I’m less likely to get oil and food everywhere.

Kinpira Gobo Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 120 grams Gobo (Burdock Root)

• 60 grams Carrot

• 1 Dried Red Pepper

• 2 Tsp Sesame Oil

• 1.5 Tbsp Soy Sauce

• 4 Tbsp Sake

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Peel the gobo and carrot’s skin with a peeler.

2. Gather the sliced gobo and carrot and cut them into short thin strips.

3. Heat your pan on medium-high and add the sesame oil, gobo, and red pepper.

4. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the carrots and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the soy sauce and stir until the vegetables are fully cooked.

7. Add the sake and stir-fry until the liquid is gone. This step is very important as it releases the vegetables’ natural sweetness.

NOTES:

Do NOT toss out the gobo skin. The skin is the leading role in this recipe as it enhances both nutrients (glutamine) and umami.

I’ve tested numerous Kinpira Gobo recipes throughout the years and this one is, by far, the best as it unwraps the flavors and nutrients of gobo to its fullest.