Kinpira (Braised and Glazed Root Vegetables)

Kinpira is named for Kintoki's son Kintarō (a folkloric figure of superhuman strength) — the name reflecting the energising, robust character of the preparation. It is one of the most ancient standard Japanese side dishes (sozai) and appears unchanged across centuries of Japanese home cooking. Gobo (burdock root) was valued in Japanese cuisine precisely for its distinctive flavour and the physical challenge of its preparation.

Burdock root (gobo) and carrot julienned and sautéed in sesame oil, then simmered in soy, mirin, sake, and dashi until the liquid has reduced to a glaze coating each piece. Kinpira is the technique of building texture and flavour simultaneously: the initial high-heat sauté in sesame oil develops nuttiness; the simmering develops flavour penetration; the glaze reduction develops the lacquered coating. The burdock root's earthy, slightly astringent character is the flavour that no Western vegetable replicates.