This blanched Korean Angelica-tree shoot (Dureup sukhoe) recipe is slightly sweet, spicy and a healthy side dish that is easy to make. A delicious and spicy gochujang sauce is mixed with the freshly blanched tree shoots or used to dip as you please.
This is a great recipe to try if you’re wanting to try a new vegetable. And a bonus…it is so easy and quick to make! A lot of people I know have not tried Angelica-tree shoots (dureup) before. Which is understandable since you really can only find fresh, wild dureup in the Spring months. Dureup has been known to be farmed in greenhouses as well, but as far as we understand it’s not really mass-farmed in many areas, especially in the United States. The taste of the blanched tree shoots is slightly bitter by itself, but when you use our spicy gochujang sauce it mellows out the bitterness. The texture profile has been compared to young, tender, blanched asparagus.
What is dureup?
The woody plant (Aralia elata) itself is known as “dureupnamu” (두릅나무) in Korean. The young shoots, and the part that is used in this recipe, are known as “dureup” (두릅) in Korean. These young shoots are actually harvested from the tree branches, unlike many other spring greens that are harvested from the soil.
Dureup is typically harvested one month out of the year, usually between early April and late May. This is the time when the shoots are soft, fragrant and perfect for blanching. So with this in mind, keep an eye out for fresh dureup growing on your property, or in the Asian markets in early Spring until about May.
Wait…on my property?! Yes, you heard us right! Keep an eye out for these young shoots to be on your property, especially our Northeastern American readers! The woody plant, Aralia elata is known as an invasive species and was brought to the United States in 1830. We are lucky enough to have some on our own property and get to enjoy the “king of spring greens” freshly picked off the woody plants once a year.
Ingredients you’ll need
- 8 Angelica-Tree Shoots (Dureup), cleaned and rinsed
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes (Gochugaru)
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white vinegar
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp korean chili paste (Gochujang)
- ¾ tsp sesame seeds
How to make Korean Dureup Sukhoe (Angelica-Tree Shoots)
- First, let’s make the gochujang sauce mixture. Mix together the red chili pepper flakes (Gochugaru), soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar, fish sauce, korean chili paste (Gochujang) and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Set aside for later.
- Now, let’s blanch the tree shoots (dureup) Add the water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Once the water has reached a boil, add the salt and the tree shoots (dureup) to the pot.
- Boil the tree shoots for about 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove the tree shoots from the boiling water and rinse with cold water in a colander. Once rinsed, pat the tree stems dry with paper towels.
- Finally, mix the tree shoots and sauce mixture together in a bowl. Note: You can also reserve a bit of gochujang to the side to dip the tree shoots in as well.
- Serve and enjoy!
We hope you enjoy our Dureup Sukhoe recipe! Happy cooking!
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Ingredients
8 Angelica-Tree Shoots (Dureup), cleaned and rinsed
2 cups water
½ tsp salt
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes (Gochugaru)
½ tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp white vinegar
½ tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp korean chili paste (Gochujang)
¾ tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- First, let’s make the gochujang sauce mixture. Mix together the red chili pepper flakes (Gochugaru), soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar, fish sauce, korean chili paste (Gochujang) and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Set aside for later.
- Now, let’s blanch the tree shoots (dureup) Add the water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Once the water has reached a boil, add the salt and the tree shoots (dureup) to the pot.
- Boil the tree shoots for about 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove the tree shoots from the boiling water and rinse with cold water in a colander. Once rinsed, pat the tree stems dry with paper towels.
- Finally, mix the tree shoots and sauce mixture together in a bowl. Note: You can also reserve a bit of gochujang to the side to dip the tree shoots in as well.
- Serve and enjoy!
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2 comments
Looks really good but where can I find dureup in So Cal?
Thanks so much, Tony! That’s a great question! I would suggest looking at your local Asian grocery markets or maybe even farmer’s markets. If your local Asian markets/grocery stores don’t carry dureup during this time of year (Spring), then, unfortunately, they probably aren’t able to find a source of dureup in that area to supply their store. I hope you are able to find some!