
Vegetables · Root vegetables
Burdock root
Long, slender brown root (gobo) with earthy, crunchy flesh, used in Japanese kinpira and Korean side dishes.
Also called: burdock, gobo, gobō
Around the world: ごぼう, gobō (ja) · 우엉, ueong (ko)
Photo: 국립국어원, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-2.0)
What it is
Burdock root is a very long, thin taproot with brown, soil-covered skin and white flesh that darkens quickly when cut. It is crisp, fibrous and earthy, a little like artichoke. Skin is usually scraped rather than peeled, and cut pieces are soaked in water.
Arctium lappa
How it’s used
- Kinpira gobo (stir-fried with carrot, soy and sesame)
- Simmered in soups and nimono
- Korean braised ueong jorim
- Tempura
Characteristics
Storage
Refrigerated. Wrap in damp paper and refrigerate; use while firm.
Diet, allergens and safety
No major allergens in typical versions.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 72 kcal
- Protein
- 1.53 g
- Carbohydrate
- 17.34 g
- Fat
- 0.15 g
- Fibre
- 3.3 g
- Sugars
- 2.9 g
USDA FoodData Central: Burdock root, raw.
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
- Parsnip — Sweeter, softer; cook less.
- Lotus root (lotus stem) — Similar crunch.
Related ingredients
Recipes with burdock root
Kenchin-jiru
Japanese · 1 h 20 min · 247 kcal · Vegan
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