Tangaek — Decoctions · Vegetables
蕨菜 Bracken
Related Crop · Bracken →
Gwolchae is bracken fern. The young fiddleheads that push up on hillsides and open fields are snapped off, boiled, and soaked before eating, and they are the same gosari that goes into seasoned side dishes, bibimbap, and spicy beef soup, matching the crop guide. The text itself adds that it should not be eaten over a long stretch.
Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 2
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性寒滑, 味甘.
Its nature is cold and slippery, and its taste is sweet.
HomiclubGwolchae is gosari, bracken. The young fronds that rise in spring coiled like a fist are snapped off, boiled, soaked, and dried for keeping. It comes up in stands on hill slopes and abandoned fields.
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去暴熱, 利水道.
It removes sudden heat and frees the waterways.
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處處有之, 生山坡原野中. 人多採取, 煮食之, 味甚好.
It is found everywhere, growing on hill slopes and in open fields. People gather much of it and boil it to eat, and its taste is very good.
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然不可久食, 消陽氣, 令脚弱不能行, 眼暗腹脹. 《本草》
Yet it must not be eaten for long, for it wastes yang qi, weakens the legs so that one cannot walk, dims the eyes, and distends the belly. 《Boncho (本草)》
HomiclubBoiling bracken and soaking it through several changes of water is a preparation handed down from old. Raw or under-soaked fronds were never brought to the table.
Related Crop
Bracken →
Vegetables — more entries
This is a cultural and historical record from a classical text, not a claim about any food’s effects. Nothing here is a health supplement or intended to prevent or treat disease. Consult a medical professional about health concerns. · Text: Korean Medicine Classics DB · Reading: Homiclub