ask Mikey, he'll eat anything...

August 6, 2008 8:00 PM

Can anyone identify the mystery ingredient?

I decided on Korean food tonight, ordering the seafood stir fry somethingorother. This is a shot of the leftovers. The item in question is the brown strips. On examination in the restaurant, my dining companion and I were both of the opinion that it was animal tissue of some sort. I was hoping it was a gourd strip. It was not. It appeared to have a body cavity of some sort. Marine worm? Random body part? Does anyone know? Thanks in advance!

posted by bolognius maximus to food & drink (12 comments total)

That's gosari or fiddlehead fern.
posted by needled at 8:09 PM on August 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

I dunno, kind of looks like strips of portobello mushroom to me.
posted by als129 at 8:12 PM on August 6, 2008

It definitely was not portobello, and if it is gosari, would it have leaves or something that would identify it as a plant? It is a squishy, brown tube. No appendages or anything.
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:21 PM on August 6, 2008

Looks like marine food to me.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 8:23 PM on August 6, 2008

In Korean cooking gosari is typically used in dried form. When rehydrated it looks like squishy brown tubes. Here's is what cooked gosari looks like.
posted by needled at 8:30 PM on August 6, 2008

I am still suspicious and think that they put marine worms in there (it WAS the seafood option), but I will take your word for it. Thanks, needled.
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:34 PM on August 6, 2008

Needled is right. That's called zenmai or warabi (can't tell which from your pic) in Japanese. Very common.
posted by misozaki at 9:06 PM on August 6, 2008

Lilly buds?
posted by Good Brain at 9:57 PM on August 6, 2008

Lilly Bud Photo

posted by Good Brain at 10:02 PM on August 6, 2008

I've had lots of that. That is rehydrated fern. Common in bulgoki, sulgoki fries, and cold soups.
posted by sourwookie at 11:51 PM on August 6, 2008

Rest assured, of all the somewhat questionable things both my Korean grandmother and mother have thrown in a pot, I have NEVER been fed worms. Marine or land-dwelling.

Fish-head soup, yes. Gosari, sure (it smells SO bad when being cooked...SO BAD). Dried squid for snacking (the suckers on the tentacles are so deliciously crispy!) - grand.

Be safe in the knowledge you were not fed worms. :)
posted by InfinateJane at 4:35 AM on August 7, 2008

[Late-breaking snark-and-response removed. Save the dripping sarcasm for elsewhere, please.]
posted by cortex at 11:26 AM on August 7, 2008