Minari (water dropwort)

Oenanthe javanica · Leafy green

40 pairings

Minari (Oenanthe javanica), also called Japanese parsley, Chinese celery or water dropwort, is a creeping, marsh-loving perennial of the carrot family whose tender aromatic stems and leaves are eaten as a herb-vegetable across East and Southeast Asia. It carries a clean, peppery, parsley-meets-celery freshness prized in Korean, Japanese and Chinese cooking.

Picking a good onedrag

Squeaky hollow stems, deep greenYellow, limp, slimy at the tie

Shop freshThe all-rounder: namul and jeon, or dropped into maeuntang at the very end of the simmer.Everyday best

LeafletsGreen, leaflets relaxed at the edges

Hollow stemsThey snap, but the break face is only damp

The liftStands, then the tops bow over slowly

Smell at the bunchClean and green, the pepper faint

What to look for, from squeaky hollow stems, deep green to yellow, limp, slimy at the tie.

Preparing