Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals).

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As root vegetables are now in season, we've chosen root vegetable recipes as the theme of our four-part series starting this week.

You might imagine it's a pain to remove their dirt and skin, but we'll teach you a few tips that will make the process easier.

First on the menu is “kinpira gobo,” or burdock root kinpira style, where the ingredients are sauteed and simmered to draw out the vegetable's full flavor.

Though you can purchase rinsed burdock vegetables, choose ones with dirt on them if available as the dirt protects the vegetable from drying and retains its flavor.

Cleaning them is easy if you lay a sheet of newspaper under them when peeling.

For this recipe, we're going to cut the burdock “sasagaki” style (to slice in thin strips resembling the leaves of “sasa,” or broad-leafed bamboo). Doing so allows it to be cooked in a short time.

One tip for slicing pieces evenly is to slice the burdock with one end touching a cutting board. This way, the burdock will remain steady and slicing will be easier.

Trying to get the right flavor and the perfect firmness of burdock can be a challenge. The secret is to braise it before seasoning.

You may want to extend the braising time to soften the burdock if you're making the dish for elderly people, and then add seasonings and boil it down.

Choose burdock that is springy and solid

Aomori Prefecture, a hotbed of burdock production, ships about 40 percent of Japan's yield of the crop. Burdock is in season from September through March, according to the Aomori Headquarters of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations known as Zen-Noh.

To ensure you're buying full-flavored burdock, look for ones that feel springy and heavy when held. These are signs that they're high in dietary fiber. Try to pick those with an even thickness.

Kinpira, the name of the dish, comes from the main character in “Kinpira Joruri,” a traditional puppet play that was popular during the Edo Period (1603-1867).

Kinpira is said to be the son of Sakata no Kintoki, a hero with superhuman strength, known in his childhood as Kintaro, a popular character in a Japanese folktale, according to an etymological dictionary.

The son is said to have been as equally powerful as his father, and his name became a byword for things that are stout.

Tough burdock thus earned the name kinpira gobo. Other examples include kinpira “tabi” (traditional Japanese socks) and kinpira “nori” (glue), which are said to have existed at one time in Japan.

BASIC COOKING METHOD

(Supervised by Akiko Watanabe in the cooking aspect and Midori Kasai in the cookery science aspect)

* Ingredients and cooking utensils (Serves two)

1/2 burdock (150 grams), 1/3 carrot (50 grams), 1/3 chili pepper pod, 1 Tbsp oil, 2 tsp sugar, 1 and 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, kitchen knife, cutting board, bowl, sieve, frying pan with lid, long kitchen-use chopsticks

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1. Rinse dirt off burdock and scrape the skin off using the back of a kitchen knife (PHOTO A). Rinse off skin. To get even-shaped pieces, make lengthwise incisions in thick parts of the burdock before cutting in "sasagaki" style. Incisions should be at 6 to 7 mm intervals and about half the vegetable's thickness.

Lay burdock on cutting board, lift the end closer to hand slightly off the board. While rotating the burdock, slice off 4- to 5-cm-long pieces by sliding the blade of the knife on the board's surface (PHOTO B). Immerse in water right away after cutting. Then drain water well with a sieve.

2. Peel carrot and finely cut into strips 5 cm long and 3 mm wide. Soften chili pepper by immersing in hot water, remove seeds and slice in rounds.

3. Pour oil in frying pan, place on medium heat and sautee burdock. When oil has coated all the pieces, add carrot and sautee briefly. Add 1/4 cup water, cover with lid and braise over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove lid, add chili pepper, sugar and soy sauce (PHOTO C). Reduce while mixing over medium heat. Sprinkle sesame or sesame oil over contents to taste.

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Akiko Watanabe is a cooking expert specializing in Japanese cuisine. Midori Kasai is a professor at Ochanomizu University and chairwoman of the Japan Society of Cookery Science.

ARRANGED VERSION

Cut 100 grams burdock into fine strips that are somewhat thicker than matchsticks. Immerse in water. Drain in sieve and boil for about 3 minutes until al dente. Drain in sieve and let cool. Mix in 2 tsp white sesame seed, 1 and 1/3 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp each of sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. Add a pinch of salt to the bowl and mix with the burdock.

COOKERY SCIENCE

The burdock turns blackish when cut since the polyphenol and oxidative enzymes that existed separately in the cells come into contact when the cells are broken by cutting and also through contact with oxygen in the air.

You can reduce the discoloration by cooking the burdock to stop the enzymes from activating or by immersing it in water to prevent contact with oxygen.

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From The Asahi Shimbun’s Gohan Lab column