In Korea, sweet potatoes are harvested in the fall, so that’s when we get the freshest sweet potato stems. The stems are long, narrow, green, and very succulent and sweet, and Koreans use them in soups, stews, side dishes, and even kimchi. Farmers also dry some of the stems until they look like hard threads. I learned this method for preparing the dried stems from one of my friends in Korea, who had learned it from her mother-in-law in the country. Small pieces of pork belly and a bit of ground perilla seeds give the rehydrated stems a deep, rich flavor. Be sure to soak the stems thoroughly. This is a long process, so start the day before. You’ll be surprised at how juicy and succulent the stick like stems become.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ounce dried sweet potato stems (mallin-goguma-julgi)
• ¼ cup perilla seed powder (deulkkae-garu)
• 1½ cups water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 ounces pork belly, chopped into small pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce or Korean soup soy sauce, preferably homemade
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. One day ahead, combine the potato stems with 10 cups water in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 3 hours.
2. Drain the stems in a colander and rinse well. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with cold water, and let soak at room temperature overnight.
3. The next day, taste the stems: They should be soft, like cooked spinach. If they are still tough, boil them in a fresh pot of water for about 30 minutes and let sit, covered, until soft.
4. Drain the stems and cut into 2-inch pieces.
5. Put the perilla seed powder in a small bowl and stir in the 1½ cups water.
6. Heat a medium heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil, pork, and garlic, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the pork is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the sweet potato stems and fish sauce. Set a fine strainer over the pot and strain the perilla seed mixture into the pot; discard the coarse skins of the seeds.
7. Give the stems a good stir, cover, turn the heat down, and simmer until the stems are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. (If they are still tough, add a little more water and continue to cook until they soften.)
8. Stir in the scallions and sesame oil. Transfer the stems, along with the milky broth, to a shallow bowl and serve.