Minari or water parsley is a healthful spring vegetable mostly found in Asia, whose unique celery-like scent and flavor makes it one of the most popular herbs in Korean food.
Thanks to the Oscar-nominated film "Minari" by Korean-American director Lee Issac Chung, the humble herb has been given an international PR boost.
Also known as water dropwort or water celery, the herb is said to be good for the stomach and liver and to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. In China, it is dried and used as a medicinal herb.
Songkang, a blowfish and eel restaurant in southern Seoul that opened 36 years ago, is locally known as the minari restaurant. Owner Song Da-hae said, "We use minari in all of our food, including stew, shabu-shabu and sashimi. The fragrant herb goes well with almost any kind of food."
Minari should not be boiled for long because that destroys the vitamin C, and it should be washed in still rather than running water to prevent the leaves falling off.
