Aside from kimchi, the spicy fermented cabbage leaves, another well-loved Korean side dish is seasoned spinach. This cold dish goes well with Korean dishes such as bibimbap, kalbijim and bulgogi.

Indeed, nearly all Korean restaurants in Manila serve seasoned spinach. Its light seasoning and cool temperature give the palate some relief from the sharp taste of other dishes.

This also makes a good meal starter. Because of its mild, smoky flavor and the light crunch of the sesame seeds, it can be juxtaposed against other appetizers such as spicy kimchi or tangy radish pickles.

Korean-style cold spinach

1 tbsp sesame seeds
500 g spinach (1 large pack)
4 c water, for boiling
4 c ice water
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped spring onions
1 tbsp sesame oil
Salt, to taste

Toast the sesame seeds in a nonstick pan until light brown. Transfer the seeds to a bowl and set aside.

Wash the spinach well and trim off the long stems. Bring the four cups water to a boil and boil the spinach leaves until tender, about one minute. With a slotted spoon, remove the leaves from the water and transfer them to a bowl filled with the four cups ice water. Let stand for one to two minutes then drain. Squeeze out excess water from the spinach.

Transfer the spinach to a mixing bowl. Add the toasted sesame seeds, garlic and spring onions. Drizzle with the sesame oil and season lightly with salt. Mix well. Transfer to a container and keep covered. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Cook’s tips

To squeeze out the water from the spinach: Wrap the leaves in paper towels (use thick, sturdy paper towels). Over the sink, press the paper towels with your hands. This will squeeze out the excess water. You may have to do this in batches.

Sesame seeds and sesame oil are available in the seasoning and spices section of large supermarkets. You can also find them in Asian groceries.