🌿 Korean Pepper Leaf Side Dish | A Taste of Grandma’s Garden

Discover a traditional Korean side dish made with pepper leaves, seasoned with garlic, chili, and fish sauce. A farm-to-table recipe full of flavor and grandma’s wisdom.

 

When the chili harvest in Korea comes to an end, there’s always something left behind—tiny peppers and tender pepper leaves. While most people know about the fiery red chilies, few outside of Korea realize that the leaves are also a treasured ingredient.

Today, I’ll share how I, a Korean grandma who still tends her own field, turn these leaves into a simple yet soulful side dish. This isn’t just food—it’s a story of how Korean families stretch the harvest, waste nothing, and create comfort from the soil.

My summer chili field, where the leaves are as precious as the fruit.

Handpicking every leaf and pepper with care. Farming is patience.

The last of the season’s chilies, glowing under the sun.

 

🥢 How to Make Korean Pepper Leaf Side Dish

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

• 200g (7 oz) pepper leaves
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
• 1 tbsp anchovy fish sauce (myeolchi aekjeot)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Prepare the leaves
   Trim the stems and wash thoroughly several times.
2. Blanch briefly
   In boiling water with a pinch of salt, blanch the leaves for about 30 seconds. Rinse in cold water and squeeze out excess liquid.
3. Mix seasonings
   In a bowl, add garlic, chili powder, and fish sauce to the leaves. Mix gently.
4. Finish with aroma
   Add sesame oil and sesame seeds at the end for fragrance.

👉 Storage Tip: When I harvest a big batch, I stop at step 2, squeeze out the water, and freeze the blanched leaves in small portions. Later, I defrost and season them fresh—this way, I enjoy the taste of summer all year round.

 

A humble dish of pepper leaves—fragrant, savory, and comforting.

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🌿 Grandma’s Kitchen Memory

In my childhood, pepper leaf side dish was always on the table when the chili harvest was nearly done. Nothing was wasted—leaves became side dishes, stems were fed to livestock, and chilies were dried for winter.

This simple dish carries that memory. With just rice and these seasoned leaves, the meal feels complete.

And this is the charm of Korean cooking: turning seasonal harvests into everyday comfort. It’s the same spirit that brings dishes like Young Radish Kimchi to the table. Each season, each ingredient has its own story.

🌱 Korean Summer Kimchi Recipe: Yeolmu (Young Radish) & Thinned Radish Greens