April 23, 2010

Kogome or Kogomi (Ostrich Fern Fiddleheads)/コゴミ、コゴメ

Today, I went shopping before noon, and found packs of kogome sold at the supermarket. I think the kogome are cultivated ones because of the relatively low price (198 yen).
今日は昼前に買い物に行って、スーパーでコゴミを売っているのを見つけました。比較的値段が安いので、栽培ではないかと思います。

I will come back with a photo of boiled kogome later.
後で、茹でたコゴメの写真を載せます。

Edited to add a photo of boiled kogome:
茹でたコゴミの写真を載せます:

Unlike in the United States, kogome are boiled for relatively a short time, say 3 minutes or so, in Japan. Otherwise, kogome will lose their flavor and texture.
米国と違い、日本ではコゴミは比較的短い時間(3分くらい)茹でます。でないと、風味も食感もなくなってしまいます。

I think I was wrong. I had thought the kogome shown above were cultivated. I went to the supermarket today, and bought another pack. I asked a clerk if they were wild or cultivated. He replied they were wild ones.
間違っていたと思います。上に載せたコゴミは栽培だと思っていました。今日、スーパーに行って、もう1パック買いました。店員さんにこれは天然か栽培か訊くと、天然だと言うことです。

Forgot to say that I had the boiled kogome with ponzu and mayonnaise. I can't think of any other good way to have kogome.
言い忘れましたが、茹でたコゴメはポン酢とマヨネーズで食べました。他にコゴメを食べるいい方法が思いつきません。

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi
this is also very popular here but i have never tried it.
could you give more specific instructions on how you cooked it with ponze and mayo?

Hiroyuki said...

Anonymous: Cook it? I simply boiled the kogome for 3 min., drained, and put in cold water, that's all. I poured some ponzu and mayo in a small plate, and had the kogome with them.
Kogome should be great in salad, spaghetti, and other dishes, but I prefer enjoying the flavor of kogome with minimum seasonings.

Anonymous said...

thank you so much. i will try.

Amato said...

Hiroyuki, are this warabi shots?
No, they are darker, arent they?
I have read somewhere warabi is a spring delicacy(the cooked plant) I of course only know warabi mochi.

Hiroyuki said...

Amato: They are not warabi (bracken fern) shoots!
Visit this blog entry:
http://hiro-shio.blogspot.com/2008/06/mushroom-gathering.html

Cecilia said...

Thanks for this. My mother in law sent some down from the north this week. She often makes it as tempura, but ponzu and mayo sound a lot easier.

Hiroyuki said...

Cecilia: Thanks for your comment. They should be great as tempura, but I prefer having them in a very simple way.

I visited your blog and found some of the photos quite natsukashii~!