Gobo fix

Finally made it back to Tensuke market this weekend for some Japan rations. I’m tired of paying an arm and a leg at Whole F***s for umeboshi, though I still will have to since Tensuke didn’t carry any that wasn’t full of red dye. But I did get a three and a half foot long Burdock root, a.k.a. gobo. Having tried a package of the pickled variety on my last visit, and then S telling me it’s what all the Okinawan centenarians swear by, I was on the lookout to pick up some more of it. Again, avoiding dyes and msg was tricky, and I ended up with the homely, unadulterated article from their produce section. So I’m to figure out how to pickle it myself. In the meantime I’ve been eating the bugger raw and adding it to my okayus after a little soaking. It looks from my internet survey that it is also frequently cut or grated with carrots to make a sort of stir-fried slaw. It seems like the subtle, nutty flavor, the nutritional profile, the culinary versatility and exotic/common weed factor would have gobo well-poised to be a future foodie affectation.