Immature garlic stems are tender and edible. They are also known as garlic spears or garlic tops. They have a milder taste than cloves. In Korea, we make some side-dishes with garlic stems. You can fry or pickle them with a spicy sauce or plain pickling spices.
- Use:
Side dish- Storage:
Keep in a cool place.
Short Korean Lesson
- MaNeul (마늘) = Garlic
- Jjong (쫑) = Stems (Dialect)
Hi Aeri. I like this site better than your youtube site. I hope you are enjoying your holiday season with your son. Can you give me a recipe for a garlic stem side dish or kimchee? I bought the salted kind from the Korean store but can not find the recipe anywhere. Merry Christmas!
hi Bridgette,
My husband I love garlic stems side-dishes.. just the store only sell it in the spring for the very short time.. so maybe next year when I can get the garlic stems.. I will post the recipe. thanks Merry Christmas too.
Hi Bridgette,
I’ve been looking everywhere for a garlic stem “kimchee” recipe. I finally asked my mom and she just gave me the recipe. I didn’t want to bother her, but I guess I should’ve asked her in the first place. lol.
Here is my mom’s version of a spicy garlic stem banchan. It’s technically not a kimchee, but it looks like it & can be stored in the fridge for about a week. I don’t have exact measurements, but you can give it a whirl and adjust to your taste:
-one bunch garlic stems
-1 or 2 tablespoon korean chili paste (gochu jang)
-1/2 or 1 tbspn honey
-4-5 cloves of garlic minced
-1 or 2 tbspn sesame oil
-1/2 or 1 tbspn soy sauce
-1 or 2 tbspn vinegar
-1 tbspn sesame seeds (optional garnish)
1. wash and cut garlic stems in bite size pieces. (i.e. 2 inches)
2. mix in a bowl garlic stems and rest of the ingredients. Adjust to your flavor. Vinegar makes it tangy, soy sauce makes is bitter/salty, sesame oil mellows out tangy flavor, sugar also mellows out flavor to less spicy/salty.
3. sprinkle sesame seeds into the mix for garnish. serve as is or store in the fridge for the future.
Happy cooking! 😛
Hi Ann Bartholomew,
Thanks for your mom’s recipe for Bridgette. I couldn’t find any of the garlic stem this year in a store yet. I want to try your mom’s recipe someday too. Sounds delicious. 🙂 Thanks