Rice dishes

Thistle Rice

gondre-bap

Warm rice mixed with sautéed gondre greens, sesame oil, and green onion.

Medium45 min3 servings★ 56Contains soyContains sesame

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History & culture

Gondre rice is often linked to Gangwon’s Jeongseon highlands, where mountain foraging of gondre namul became a regional specialty. Tradition holds that drying and steaming the herb with rice preserved alpine flavors through harsh seasons. The dish appears at local festivals and home tables as a taste of highland farming culture. It is widely cited in discussions of Gangwon folk food and seasonal mountain ingredients.

Servings

KCook

Ingredients & steps

Cook mode

Ingredients

Garlic
3 cloves
Neutral cooking oil
1 tbsp
Water
4 cups
Gondre (thistle greens)
Substitutedried gondre or spinach
200 g
Green onion
Substitutescallion or spring onion
1 stalk
Cooked rice
2 cups

Seasonings

Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)Optional
Substitutecoarse red pepper flakes (adjust heat)
0.5 tsp
Soy sauce
SubstituteTsuyu (diluted) 4 tsp (2 tsp per 1 tbsp) or Tamari 2 tbsp
2 tbsp
Toasted sesame oil
Substitutea small amount of olive oil (flavor differs)
2 tbsp
Salt
0.5 tsp

Steps

130 min
Rehydrate dried gondre in warm water for 30 minutes, then rinse and squeeze dry.
- Gondre (thistle greens)
- Water
2Medium heat5 min
Sauté gondre with garlic and soy sauce until fragrant.
- Gondre (thistle greens)
- Garlic
- Soy sauce
- Neutral cooking oil
32 min
Mix sautéed gondre into warm rice with sesame oil and top with green onion.
- Cooked rice
- Toasted sesame oil
- Green onion

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate up to 2 days; best served at room temperature or gently reheated.

Troubleshooting

⚠️ Gondre is tough or bitter
→ Soak longer and blanch briefly before sautéing to soften.
⚠️ Dish lacks depth of flavor
→ Add an extra teaspoon of soy sauce and sesame oil when mixing.