Name: Sigeumchi-namul (Seasoned Spinach)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings as banchan
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 300g fresh spinach, preferably Korean spinach (sigeumchi), washed very well; 6 cups water; 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt, for blanching; 1 1/2 teaspoons guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce), plus 1/2 teaspoon more only after tasting; 1 small garlic clove, minced fine, about 1 teaspoon; 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, lightly crushed; 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, only if needed after tasting

Question 1

How long do I blanch spinach for sigeumchi namul?

Accepted Answer

Blanch fresh spinach for 15 seconds total for sigeumchi namul. Lower the stems into hard-boiling salted water for 5 seconds, then push the leaves under for 10 seconds more. The spinach should turn bright green and just collapse, not cook until soft.

Question 2

How much water should I squeeze out of spinach for Korean seasoned spinach?

Accepted Answer

Squeeze the blanched spinach firmly until water no longer streams from the bundle, then stop before the spinach becomes a dry rope. Too much water weakens the guk-ganjang, sesame oil, and garlic seasoning; too much squeezing makes the spinach stems stringy.

Question 3

What can I use instead of guk-ganjang in sigeumchi namul?

Accepted Answer

Use 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons guk-ganjang, then add a small pinch of fine sea salt if the spinach tastes flat. Guk-ganjang seasons without darkening the leaves, while regular soy sauce can make sigeumchi namul look darker.

Question 4

Why is my sigeumchi namul watery or bland?

Accepted Answer

Sigeumchi namul turns watery or bland when the blanched spinach is not squeezed enough before seasoning. Drain the spinach, gather it into one bundle, and squeeze until water stops streaming. Then season by hand so guk-ganjang, garlic, scallion, sesame oil, and crushed sesame seeds coat every strand.

Question 5

Can I make sigeumchi namul ahead of time?

Accepted Answer

You can wash and trim fresh spinach 1 day ahead, wrap it in a clean towel, tuck it into a bag, and refrigerate it. Finished sigeumchi namul tastes best within a few hours of seasoning and keeps refrigerated for 2 days in a covered container.

Question 6

Should sigeumchi namul be served warm, cold, or room temperature?

Accepted Answer

Serve sigeumchi namul at room temperature after a 5-minute rest. The short rest lets toasted sesame oil bloom and lets guk-ganjang settle into the spinach stems. After refrigeration, taste again because cold dulls the seasoning, then refresh with a few drops of sesame oil if needed.

Culinary Explorer

Sigeumchi-namul (Seasoned Spinach)

Ingredients

fresh spinach, preferably Korean spinach (sigeumchi)

water

coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
fresh spinach, preferably Korean spinach (sigeumchi)washed very well	300g
water	6 cups
coarse sea salt or kosher saltfor blanching	1 tablespoon