Buchu Muchim (Seasoned Garlic Chives)
A spring side dish of tender first-harvest garlic chives and onion tossed fresh in a sweet, sour, and spicy seasoning.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This side dish lightly tosses tender spring garlic chives and thinly sliced onion with soy sauce and fish sauce right before serving. The key is to sprinkle the seasonings evenly over the ingredients and toss gently with minimal handling so the chives do not develop a raw grassy smell. With simple ingredients, you can easily enjoy that Korean barbecue restaurant style of savory flavor.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Garlic chives (buchu)150 g
- Onion1/2
Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Sand lance fish sauce (or dried anchovies)1 tbsp
- Vinegar1 tbsp
- Green plum syrup (maesil-cheong)1 tbsp
- Sugar1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- It is best to choose first-harvest garlic chives that are short in length and have a purplish tint near the roots.
- Pick off or trim any yellowed parts, soak in water briefly so soil and sand fall away, and wash by swishing gently.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
These are first-harvest garlic chives grown outdoors.
It is delicious if you also add about 1/2 medium onion.
Trim the garlic chives
First-harvest garlic chives are short and have a purplish tint near the roots; if you see these, definitely buy them.
They turn green as they grow.
Pick off or cut away any yellowed parts.
Soak them in water briefly so clinging dirt or sand falls off, then wash several times while shaking gently.
Slice the onion
Thinly slice the onion.
Trim any garlic chives that are longer than the onion slices, place them in a bowl with the onion, and mix together.
Season
Add the seasonings one by one, scattering them evenly over the ingredients.
Add all of the following: 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 1 tbsp sand lance fish sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp green plum syrup (maesil-cheong), 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.
Toss
Add the seasonings directly like this and toss gently right away.
If you mix the sauce in advance, it clumps up and requires tossing for too long, which crushes the thin chive leaves and creates a raw grassy smell.
It is important to handle them as little as possible while tossing.
Adjust any missing saltiness with a little salt, and adjust the sugar or vinegar to suit your taste.
Complete the dish
If you season with soy sauce alone, it has a refreshing, light, salad-like feel, and if you increase the amount of fish sauce, it takes on a deeper, heavier flavor like kimchi or geotjeori (fresh kimchi).
The leaves are wide and thick, yet because they are fresh spring chives, they are tender, fragrant, and delicious.
Please enjoy this in-season garlic chive side dish often.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you mix the sauce in advance, it clumps up and requires tossing for too long, which crushes the thin chive leaves and creates a raw grassy smell, so it is important to handle them as little as possible while tossing.
- If you season with soy sauce alone, it has a refreshing, light, salad-like feel, and if you increase the amount of fish sauce, it takes on a deeper, heavier flavor like kimchi or geotjeori (fresh kimchi).
FAQ
Why do you sprinkle the seasonings directly instead of mixing the sauce in advance?
If you make the sauce in advance, it clumps together and takes longer to toss, which can bruise the thin garlic chive leaves and produce a raw grassy smell.
Can I use anchovy fish sauce instead of sand lance fish sauce?
You can use anchovy fish sauce in the exact same way instead of sand lance fish sauce.
What should I keep in mind when washing garlic chives?
Soak them in water briefly so any dirt or sand trapped between the leaves falls away, then rinse several times while swishing gently.
How can I adjust the flavor profile to suit my taste?
Seasoning primarily with soy sauce gives a light, refreshing, salad-like taste, while increasing the proportion of fish sauce produces a deeper, richer savory flavor closer to fresh kimchi.
