In South Korea, Taro is called ToRan (토란) meaning “egg from earth”, and the corm is stewed and the leaf stem is stir-fried. Taro roots can be used for medicinal purposes, particularly for curing insect bites. I tried to find this in Korean stores here (USA) but I couldn’t. My mom sent this to me from Korea. I tried to think of what kind of vegetables you can substitute for this, if you can’t find it. When I consider the texture, I recommend oyster mushroom or Enokitake mushroom. Those substitutes are especially good when making the Korean soup YukGaeJang.

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In East Asia, Pteridium aquilinum (fernbrake or bracken fiddleheads) is eaten as a vegetable. In Korea, a typical banchan (small side dish) is GoSaRi-NaMul (고사리나물) that consists of prepared fernbrake that has been sauteed. It is a component of the popular dish BiBimBap.

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In Korea, slightly cooked mung bean sprouts, called SukJu NaMul (숙주나물), are often served as a side dish. They are placed into boiling water for less than a minute, immediately cooled down in cold water, and mixed with sesame oil, garlic, salt, and often other ingredients.

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The root of this species (radix platycodi) is used extensively in as an anti-inflammatory in the treatment of coughs and colds. In Korea the plant is known as DoRaJi (도라지) and its root, either dried or fresh, is a popular ingredient in salads and traditional cuisine.

This has bitter taste, so you have to soak in water several hours (fresh one) or at least overnight (dried one) before you use them for cooking.

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DaSiMa (다시마) also called Kombu (konbu in Japanese or haidai in Chinese) are edible kelp from widely eaten in East Asia.

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Red bean paste or Azuki bean paste is a sweet, dark red bean paste originating from China. It is used in Chinese cuisine, Japanese confectionery, and Korean cuisine. It is prepared by boiling and mashing azuki beans and then sweetening the paste with sugar or honey. The husk of the beans may be removed by sieving before sweetening, which leads to a smoother and more homogeneous paste.

Red bean paste is used in various Korean snack foods and desserts; including: Baram Dduk, BungEoPpang (붕어빵), HoTteok (호떡), PatBingSu (팥빙수), PatDanJa (팥단자), PatJuk (팥죽), PatTteok (팥떡)

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Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk and pressing the resulting curds. Although pre-made soy milk may be used, most tofu producers begin by making their own soy milk, which is produced by soaking, grinding, boiling and straining dried (or, less commonly, fresh) soybeans.

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In Korea, squid is often made into JeotGal (in Korean). Heavily salted squid is left to ferment, sometimes with its innards, for up to a month, and is sold in small jars. This salty, strong flavored item is served in small quantities as a side dish (BanChan), or an accompaniment to white rice or alcoholic drinks. In Korea, dried squid is also a popular accompaniment for alcoholic beverages, called AnJu. Dried squid is often served with peanuts. Squid is also served roasted, with hot pepper paste and/or mayonnaise as a dip sauce. Steamed squid, or boiled squid, is also a delicacy.
In Korea, live squid is freshly taken from a tank, killed, cleaned and served quickly. Unlike octopus served in a similar fashion however, squid tentacles do not usually continue to move for long enough to reach the dinner table. This type of fresh squid is called 산 오징어 (‘san ojingo’) (also with small octopuses called nakji). The squid is served with wasabi/soy sauce, chili pepper sauce or sesame sauce with salt and often wrapped in lettuce or pillard leaves.

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