Seasoned Potato Stem: I must have done a really good job with last weekend's shopping trips, because I definitely snagged some new foods that have totally mystified me. I love the Buford Highway Farmers Market's fresh prepared Asian section in the back - in addition to most of the selections being tasty, it's also supplied me with some truly new experiences. During my last visit, I spotted a product labeled "seasoned potato stem" in the cold section. Potato stems? I had no idea what those were, so of course, I had to buy them.
I'd had these sitting in the fridge for a couple days, so I finally broke them open today to find out what they were. The "stems" were seasoned with salt, dashida (a Korean soup seasoning), sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce, and the dish also included some green onion and sesame seeds. I love those particular seasoning ingredients in Asian cuisine, so I knew I'd probably like these if the "stems" tasted good.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this dish, but it was actually pretty good. The stems reminded me of crunchy, stringy cabbage - almost like kimchi, but not leafy. However, that's where the kimchi comparisons ended. The sesame/soy element was fairly strong, and I assume they had been previously stir-fried before being packaged cold. Some additional flavor was added by the onion/garlic, but overall, I liked this. I'm sure it's a popular with Asian cuisine, and apparently it's Korean in origin (also called goguma).
If you're still wondering what potato stems are, well...I'm not entirely sure. I couldn't find any conclusive info, but I gather that they're one of the wiry, stringy parts ("tubers") of the potato that we usually don't eat in American cuisine.
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