Featured Comment:
“This recipe is what I’ve been seeking for years. It is exactly the same flavor I tasted in Okinawa restaurants 40 years ago. It is so good! Every bite I take has sweet memories. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for sharing this recipe.”
– Denise
What is Kinpira Gobo?
Kinpira Gobo (きんぴらごぼう) is a traditional and well-loved Japanese side dish made with finely cut burdock root that has been stir-fried and then simmered in a sweet and savory sauce. Its name comes from a legendary warrior character, reflecting the dish’s robust texture and spicy kick.
You’ll often see this simple dish in Japanese homes because it’s quick and easy to make. It was originally created as a preserved food with its concentrated seasonings, and it keeps well for several days in the fridge, making it perfect for busy schedules and meal prep.
The “kinpira” method has become so popular that it’s now used for other crunchy vegetables, like lotus root, using the same technique. This classic side dish has been passed down through generations, evolving from its Edo period origins while maintaining its signature sweet-savory flavor that goes well with the whole Japanese dining experience.
Burdock Root Alternatives
For those in Western countries where fresh burdock root isn’t readily available, here are several alternatives that can create a similar kinpira experience:
| Alternative | Texture & Flavor | Cooking Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Parsnip | • Surprisingly similar to burdock when stir-fried • Sweet, slightly nutty flavor • Crispy texture when julienned | • Cut slightly thicker than burdock • Cooks faster – reduce cooking time |
| Lotus Root (Renkon) | • Crunchy, slightly starchy • Mild, sweet flavor • Crisp bite even after cooking | • Slice thinner due to harder texture • Maintains crunch well |
| Salsify Root (Oyster Plant) | • Looks remarkably like burdock • Similar crunchy texture | • Handle like burdock • Peel immediately before use |
| Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchoke) | • Crisp, water chestnut-like • Nutty, slightly sweet • Knobby ginger-like appearance | • Cooks quickly – watch timing • Cut into thick matchsticks |
Key Differences to Note:
- Flavor Profile: These alternatives generally lack burdock’s distinctive earthy, slightly bitter taste. The final result will be milder and sweeter. Consider adding a touch more chili to compensate for the missing complexity.
- Cooking Time: Most alternatives cook faster than burdock. Parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes especially need less time in the pan. Start checking the texture earlier to avoid overcooking.
- Texture Considerations: While burdock maintains its firm, fibrous texture throughout cooking, alternatives like parsnips can become too soft if overcooked. Cut them slightly thicker and cook over higher heat for shorter periods.
These substitutes work well not just in kinpira, but also in other Japanese dishes like takikomi gohan (mixed rice) and tonjiru (pork miso soup), where burdock is traditionally used.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Kinpira Gobo at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
If you prefer to watch the process in action, check out my YouTube video of this Kinpira Gobo recipe for a complete visual walkthrough!
Wash the gobo with clean running water to remove the soil. If you prefer, you can peel the skin using the back of a knife or a metal scrubber, but make sure to keep this to a minimum.
The peel holds a bundle of methoxypyrazines, compounds behind burdock’s signature “forest after rain” scent. Strip too much and you lose half the magic before you even start cooking.
Run your knife with the grain to cut thin matchsticks about 5 cm (2 inches) long and 3–4 mm (about ⅛ inch) wide. I recommend cutting diagonally with a focus on thinness and length, then cutting into matchstick-shaped pieces.
Keeping the fibres long means each strand holds its water better during cooking, so the final bite is satisfyingly crisp instead of floppy.
Drop the burdock into cold water, give it a little swish, and then leave it there until you’re done cutting the carrot.
That quick bath gets just the right amount of chlorogenic acid to soften any roughness without rinsing away all the antioxidants. It also prevents discoloration.
Matchstick your carrot so it can keep up with the burdock’s cook time, then thinly slice a dried red chilli, seeds out if you prefer a gentler heat.
In a small bowl stir together sake, soy sauce, chicken bouillon, and a dash of dashi granules. Use plant-based bouillon/kombu dashi granules to make it suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high. Swirl in neutral oil and add the chilli. When it starts to sizzle and you catch a whiff of fruity spice, you’re ready for the vegetables.
Toasted sesame oil is a great addition to this dish, but its fragrant compounds start to dissipate at around 180 °C / 356 °F.
Using a neutral base lets you sear hot without wasting all that sesame goodness—we’ll drizzle the toasted oil at the end where it counts.
Drain the burdock root thoroughly.
Toss in the burdock and carrot, sprinkle in a bit of salt, and stir for about 3 minutes (if you’re using a burdock alternative, reduce the cooking time). Keep the vegetables moving; we want high heat, not hot spots.
When the pieces sound squeaky against the pan and the colour brightens, you’re at roughly 80 % cooked, perfect for seasoning.
Pour in your umami mixture. The liquid will hiss; that’s your cue to boost the heat and drive off moisture until the pan looks almost dry.
Now add brown sugar and mirin, give everything a glossy coat.
Adding sugar before soy lets it coat the vegetable surface, building flavor without turning the whole pan bitter.
And, last of all, splash in the soy sauce. Count to 15 seconds, then kill the heat so the soy’s aroma stays vivid instead of burning off.
Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds over the vegetables and swirl in a toasted sesame oil. The gentle residual heat wakens the seed aromas and locks them onto each strand.
Spread the stir-fry on a tray and let it cool for at least half an hour. As it chills, the vegetable contract and literally soak up the seasoning.
Enjoy it chilled or reheat it briefly before serving. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Wash the burdock root thoroughly to remove the soil. This prevents dirt from touching the inside when you cut it.
- Scrape with the back of a knife or steel wool/metal scouring pad to remove the skin. Since burdock skin is very thin, using a peeler or knife blade will waste a considerable amount of the actual vegetable.
- Julienne the ingredients to keep the cooking time quick.
- Soak the burdock for about 5 minutes in fresh, cold water; this removes the harshness and some of the bitterness.
- Flavor the oil with chili to spread the chili’s heat and flavor evenly through the dish. Alternatively, you can cook with chili oil or chili-infused oil.
- Add soy sauce and mirin separately near the end of cooking, improving the overall flavor and preventing the soy sauce from burning.
Meal Prep & Storage
This kinpira gobo recipe is ideal for meal prep. The sweet–savory glaze keeps the vegetables moist, and the flavors actually deepen as the burdock and carrot absorb the seasoning.
Full Dish Prep
Cook the kinpira completely, spread it on a tray until it drops below room temperature, then transfer it to airtight containers. The flavor peaks after 12–24 hours, so it’s perfect to make the night before lunches.
Enjoy within 4 days refrigerated, or freeze portions (about 3 oz / 80 g each) for up to 1 month.
Component Prep
- Prep-ahead vegetables: Slice burdock and carrot, rinse briefly, pat dry, and store submerged in cold water in the fridge up to 12 hours.
- Sauce concentrate: Mix sake, soy sauce, bouillon, dashi granules, sugar, and mirin; keep in a sealed container for 5 days. When ready, drain the veg, stir-fry, and add the pre-made sauce.
Storage Guide
Cool the finished dish quickly, pack in airtight containers, and refrigerate promptly. For freezing, wrap individual portions in plastic, press out air in a zip-top bag, and lay flat to freeze. Reheat straight from frozen in the microwave (about 1–2 minutes, stirring once) or thaw overnight in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
FAQ
Gobo (ごぼう) is a long root vegetable known as “burdock root” in English. It’s a biennial plant of the Asteraceae family native to temperate zones of Europe and Asia. Interestingly, it is not native to Japan and is considered to have come from China long ago. Another interesting fact is that even though gobo can be found in various places around the world and is often used for tea and medicine, Japan is the only country that uses it as a vegetable in cooking.
Japanese dishes are usually given names that hint at their history or origin. However, the name “kinpira” doesn’t give anything away. I couldn’t begin to guess where it comes from without researching it. The word “kinpira” comes from an old sub-genre of Japanese puppet theatre called “Kinpira Joruri.” These kinds of plays were popular in the early Edo period (1600s), and the genre itself was named after a popular protagonist in one of the plays called Sakata no Kinpira (坂田金平). Kinpira Sakata was depicted as a very strong and brave figure, and the name “Kinpira Gobo” is said to be born from the fact that the crunchy texture of burdock root and the strong spiciness of chili peppers can be compared to the strength of Kinpira no Sakata.
Burdock tastes uniquely earthy, a bit like artichoke or parsnip. It’s crunchy, slightly sweet, and a little nutty. Imagine biting into a refreshing root vegetable with a sweet finish – that’s more or less burdock!
The pan got too hot or the sauce sat un-stirred after you added sugar. Cook over medium heat and keep the veg moving. If the sugar starts to burn, splash in a little extra water or sake to dissolve it.
I hope you enjoy this Kinpira Gobo recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Side Recipes
- Potato Salad (Izakaya Style)
- Hijiki Seaweed Salad (Hijiki no Nimono)
- Sesame Spinach Salad (Horenso no Goma-ae)
- Tako to Kyuri no Sunomono (Octopus and Cucumber Salad)
Hungry for more? Explore my side dish recipe collection to find your next favorite dishes!
Kinpira Gobo (Braised Burdock Root)
Ingredients
- 200 g burdock root (gobo)
- 100 g carrot
- 1 dried red chili pepper optional
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 ½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
Sauce
- ½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp sake
- ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder or plant-based alternative
- ⅛ tsp dashi granules use kombu dashi granules for plant-based diets
My recommended brands of ingredients and seasonings can be found in my Japanese pantry guide.
Can’t find certain Japanese ingredients? See my substitution guide here.
Instructions
- Wash 200 g burdock root (gobo) thoroughly if using the ones with dirt.
- Cut the burdock root into thin diagonal slices and then each slice into thin strips (julienne). They should be about 5cm long and 3-4mm thick.
- Soak the julienned burdock root in a bowl of cold water until use.
- Peel and julienne 100 g carrot, the pieces should be a similar size to the gobo. Thinly slice 1 dried red chili pepper, if you want a milder result then you can deseed it first.
- In a small bowl, mix together ½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tbsp sake, ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder and ⅛ tsp dashi granules. Mix until dissolved and set aside for later.
- Take a frying pan, add 1 tbsp cooking oil and heat on medium high. Add the dry chili to the pan while it heats up.
- Pour the burdock root into a sieve over the sink and shake throughly to remove excess water.
- Once the chili is gently sizzling, add the drained burdock root and carrot to the frying pan and fry for a few minutes until slightly softened (approx 3 mins).
- Take your sauce from earlier and pour it around the pan. Fry until the liquid is reduced completely.
- Finally add 1 tbsp light brown sugar and 1 tbsp mirin. Stir fry until the sugar has melted and covered the vegetables.
- Add another 1 ½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and fry for 10-15 seconds and then turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle in 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and drizzle with ½ tsp toasted sesame oil.
- Mix and serve, or transfer to a wide container and cool before storing in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- Burdock root alternatives: Parsnip, lotus root (renkon), salsify root (oyster plant), Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke).
- Can be served hot or cold depending on preference. To reheat, fry for a few minutes in a pan right before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days.
- Alternatively, you can freeze it in individual portions for up to 1 month and defrost at room temperature for 1 hour or in the fridge overnight. To defrost quickly, microwave each portion for 30 seconds at 500W.
- Serving ideas: Salt Grilled Mackerel, Spinach Ohitashi Salad, Authentic Miso Soup, Hiyayakko (Cold Tofu).
I made this today and it was delicious! Thank you 🙂 Great for meal prep.
Thank you for trying the recipe and giving it a 5 star review! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Lovely recipe. (Forgive typos as the text is so light I can barely see it). I have sturdy plants in the yard, but until I had the roots tested for heavy metals, I dare not use it. Burdock root is known for absorbing them. I have taken powdered, organic burdock root for decades – but purchased. It would be lovely to make the kinpira gobo, and worthwhile to plant some burdock seeds in healthy soil, to cultivate and eat.
I have never tried growing my own burdock root, but I’m sure using home-grown produce would take this dish to another level. I didn’t know about burdock root absorbing metals, thank you for sharing!
Best wishes, Yuto
I made this for dinner, it was so easy and delicious. Thank you.
Hi Sueling,
Thank you for using this recipe and sharing your picture! Looking great!
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it and found this recipe easy! 🙂
Yuto
Oishii!!! I added it konnyaku to my recipe.
Hi Noreen,
Thank you for trying this recipe and sharing your @icture! Looking great! 🙂
Yuto
This recipe is what I’ve been seeking for years. It is exactly the same flavor I tasted in Okinawa restaurants 40 years ago. It is so good! Every bite I take has sweet memories. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Denise,
Thank you for such a heartfelt comment! I’m so happy that this recipe helped you reconnect with those cherished memories. I’m honored to have played a small part in helping you rediscover this taste of the past. 🙂
Yuto