Magnolias

Ingredients

Chinese Bellflower - [Japanese Bellflower, Balloon Flower; Do-ra-ji (Korea); Platycodon grandiflorus]

Native to Northeast Asia (China, East Siberia, Korea and Japan) the root of this plant has long been used as an anti-inflammatory in China, but in Korea the root is popular in salads and in herbal cooking.

So far I've found it only in the dried form shown in the photo, labeled Bellflower or Platycodon depending on brand. The specimens were obtained from a local Korean market.

Codonopsis - [Bonnet Bellflower; Todok (Korea); Codonopsis lanceolata]

Native to the edges of moist forests in East Asia, the root of this plant is used in cooking from Malaysia to Korea. The photo specimens were purchased from a Korean market in Los Angeles, packaged in a plastic bag.

In Korea Codonopsis is called Todok and is popular cooked fresh as a vegetable but fresh Todok isn't common here. The dried root should be soaked in warm salted water to soften it and draw out any bitterness. Slices such as are shown in the photo will take well over an hour of soaking time. Todok remains fairly firm and is somewhat fiberous so always cut crosswise and fairly thin.

Subst: celery root is most similar in texture though different in flavor. Parsnip is way too sweet and gets way too soft.

This root, thought to have anti-cancer properties, is also reputed to be an aphrodesiac tonic and is used medicinally to treat inflamation. Another colonopsis species, Codonopsis pilosula, is important in Chinese herbal medicine but not for cooking.