“Let’s go find the fern!”
At the start of “Wild Russia”, Sakhalin residents were invited to the forest for a master class and a weekend excursion from the “Island of Family Treasures” series. More than a hundred people attended a picnic and a mass fern gathering under the auspices of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk cultural and tourist centre and the public organisation “Koreans of Sakhalin”. Many came with families.
– We started this project three years ago. And every time we have new wild plants. We started the season with marigolds, and now it’s the turn of ferns,” said the head of the “Sakhalin Koreans,” Park Sun-ok, and clarified: “By the way, we used to share traditions and secrets with tourists, but somehow it didn’t happen. I won’t work with Sakhalin residents…
After treating their clothes with anti-tick spray, following instructions and a complete census, a considerable group of outdoor enthusiasts set off. After 20 minutes we found ourselves at the foot of Moskovskaya Mountain, where a “restaurant kitchen” has already been set up – tables with gas stoves.
From the leader of the “Sakhalin Koreans” we learn that in the post-war years there was famine on the island, and besides, no one here was engaged in gardening. People were helped by wild plants stored for future use. Ferns, for example, are perfectly preserved by salting. But then, 70-80 years ago, it was only dried – salt was in short supply.
Three types of ferns are eaten in Sakhalin: bracken (kusari), ostrich feathers (kobi) and osmunda. They are collected in a short period of time in late spring and early summer. Seeing a young, thin shoot of fern against the background of grass is not an easy task. Here it is! The stem breaks easily. The assemblers do not need a knife or other improvised means.
From the collected specimens, it was possible to identify both new and experienced individuals. Some of the pioneers, including myself, came out of the forest with luxurious “bouquets” of hairy leaves. They were immediately rejected by the organizers. These are not suitable for food. Only young shoots with unopened and spirally twisted tips of the rachis are needed.
Freshly cut fern is not cooked. To remove the bitterness, it must first be soaked in salted water. However, some people believe that it can simply be boiled.
“Fern is not poisonous,” Park Soon Ok warned us. “And, for example, marigold, a plant that we collect in early spring, cannot be consumed once it has bloomed. Burdock should be collected near rivers and made sure that it is free of worms.”
When doing this, you must wear gloves, otherwise you will not be able to wash your hands with anything – they will turn brown for a long time.
Better than mushrooms
In the forest kitchen we were preparing traditional Korean fern salad. Park Soon Ok was working her magic over a sizzling frying pan.
– I try to use a minimal set of ingredients to preserve the flavour of the plant itself. I fry the soaked fern with onion and garlic. Now I add sesame oil, but I do without it at home. This salad is good both cold and hot,” said the Sakhalin woman.
The finished Korean-style fern was served with boiled fluffy rice. It doesn’t look very good, but the taste of the dish is divine, reminiscent of mushrooms. One of the picnic participants compared it to soy meat. The organizers of the gastromarathon even came up with a special slogan: “Salad made from fern stems is tastier and healthier than any kebab.”
By the way, ferns and osmunda don’t make friends in the same pan: they have to be cooked separately. Osmunda is tougher and has more bitterness, so the cooking time is a bit longer.
Meanwhile, local restaurateurs also took part in the picnic excursion, experimenting with wild plants right before our eyes: they prepared fern pâté, mussels with wild garlic sauce, Korean panchans and other dishes.
– We bring people together, introduce them to the culture of collecting and preparing wild plants. This is a good kind of eco-tourism: spend a day off with your family, take a walk, write recipes, learn the subtleties and nuances of cooking. It’s nice to see this here,” said Andrei Sukhonos, director of the city’s cultural and tourist center.
Life is good when there is wild garlic on the plate.
At the gastromarathon, chefs prepared unusual dishes based on burdock, wild garlic, fern, nettle, calendula, as well as local mushrooms and berries. In addition, seafood and exotic fruits were used.
22 establishments of the regional center offered visitors sets of three items at a single price (950 rubles) and exclusive dishes starting from 640 rubles.
Only young, green shoots of fern are eaten. Photo: Marina Turkusheva/RG
Korifena with fern and tomatoes, nettle salad with sockeye salmon, mango and citrus sauce, burdock tube with bugs, seasonal fern with fried squid and scallop butter, roll with scallop and nettle caviar, signature cheese with wild plants, crispy beef and sweet pumpkin, Kim-chi with wild garlic – this is just a part of the gastromarathon menu, which is mind-blowing even from the names of the dishes.
– This is a real event for Sakhalin residents and visitors to the island. This is confirmed by the ever-increasing number of sets sold and the number of participating establishments. This year, there are a third more. The gastromarathon becomes an excellent incentive for Sakhalin residents to discover new food establishments. And for companies, this is a factor of professional growth,” says Artem Lazarev, Minister of Tourism of the region.
in a note
fern in Korean
Boil the dried fern. In a separate pan, fry the onions, add the meat or mushrooms and continue frying. Closer to its readiness, add the boiled fern, garlic, sesame oil, onion oil, a little Korean seasoning dashida, a pinch of salt and mix everything together. Serve sprinkled with green onions. If desired, you can add pepper and other favorite spices.
Sakhalin burdock stewed with pork
Fry small pieces of meat until half cooked and immediately add the chopped burdock stems. While stirring, add the chopped onion, red pepper, crushed garlic, sesame seeds and soy sauce instead of salt. Simmer covered until ready. Serve as a side dish or with a side dish: boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or with rice, as the Japanese do.
