Fernbrake ?!
Hey all~
Recently, one of my coworkers got this for me: fernbrake!
It’s also known as bracken, but I think most ppl call it fernbrake. At least in North America? Or Canada??? In the “west”? haha I don’t know. It’s not a common item in western cooking so many of my friends don’t know what this is. However, when I described it to them, they were like, “ooooohhh”. You know when you order bibimbap (Korean stone bowl rice), there are about 5-7 ingredients on top of the rice that you mix together? (Marinated) fernbrake is actually one of those items!
In Asia, you can find this dried version, in addition to fresh fernbrake - it is a fern plant & East Asians use both dried & fresh versions in their cuisine. But here in Canada, you’ll likely not find the fresh version.
For instance, in China, depending on which part of the country you’re talking about, the cooking method is different. In Southern China, it’s commonly “used” in chives or gailan- stir-fry in garlic, &/or a protein, like fatty pork or beef. In Northern China, it’s mixed with garlic & chili pepper/oil as a sidedish (or preserved vegetable to eat with rice). It’s pretty versatile, & you can use it in soups too.
Here’s the back~
I soaked a medium handful of fernbrake in cold water overnight bcos I needed it the next day. .. Guess what I made!!!
