Minari is more than a movie

You might have heard of the movie, “Minari,” but in Korea, this green, leafy, hollow-stemmed vegetable is known as Korean watercress. It’s used in many ways — soups and salads but also has detoxification properties.

It is abundant in taste — slightly peppery and slightly bitter. It grows like a weed, showing great resilience. As Director of Minari, Lee Isaac Chung, states, “The interesting thing about it is that it’s a plant that will grow very strongly in its second season after it has died and come back. So, there’s an element of that in the film… It’s a poetic plant in a way for me.”

Go to your nearest Korean market and purchase some, especially in the Spring and try this recipe! I’m pointing you to my favorite website for Korean recipes because Maangchi is purely wonderful.