Name: Cabbage Fried Rice - Made by Someone Who Doesn't Even Like Cabbage
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: Cabbage — a generous amount, thinly shredded; Cooked white rice — 1 bowl; Pork — optional (the meat-free version is actually better); Yondu (Sempio fermented soybean seasoning) — 1 to 2 tablespoons; Perilla oil or sesame oil — a drizzle; Olive oil — for stir-frying; Salt and pepper — to taste

This is a recipe I came across on YouTube from Ahn Sung-jae, one of Korea's most celebrated chefs. I'm not a fan of cabbage. I've rarely found its sweetness appealing — the only way I've ever enjoyed it is in Korean-style cabbage salad drenched in a ketchup-mayo sauce.

So when I saw someone reacting like it was the most delicious thing in the world — made with nothing but cabbage and rice — I had to try it myself. I was also curious about an ingredient called Yondu.

A well-known Korean chef once mentioned that Yondu is a staple in most high-end Korean restaurants. I'd never used it before, so I couldn't relate — but it always stuck in the back of my mind.

> Yondu — A fermented soybean seasoning by Sempio. Softer than soy sauce with a deeper umami flavor, commonly used in stir-fries, seasoned vegetables, and soups.

Ingredients

- Cabbage — a generous amount - Cooked white rice — 1 bowl - Pork — to taste (honestly, you don't need it — more on that below) - Yondu — 1–2 tablespoons - Perilla oil — a drizzle - Olive oil - Salt and pepper

How to Make It

Yondu fermented soybean seasoning and perilla oil prepared for Korean cabbage fried rice

Prepare the Yondu and perilla oil. Yondu is saltier than it looks — start with 1 tablespoon, taste, and add more if needed.

Thinly shredded cabbage prepped on a cutting board for stir-frying

Shred the cabbage as thinly as possible. The thinner it is, the faster the moisture cooks off.

Sliced pork stir-frying in olive oil to render fat before adding cabbage

Heat olive oil in a pan and stir-fry the pork first. Once it renders enough fat, you can use that to cook the rest.

Generous pile of shredded cabbage added to the pan with pork

Add a generous amount of cabbage and stir-fry. The key is to cook off as much moisture as possible — otherwise the fried rice turns mushy.

Cabbage wilting and moisture cooking off over high heat in the pan

Keep stir-frying over high heat until the cabbage wilts and most of the moisture is gone.

Cooked white rice being mixed into the seasoned cabbage with Yondu

Before adding the rice, stir in 1 tablespoon of Yondu and check the seasoning. Then add the rice and mix everything together.

Plated Korean cabbage fried rice drizzled with perilla oil, ready to eat

Plate it up and finish with a drizzle of perilla oil for aroma. That said, I'd strongly recommend sesame oil instead. The only reason I used perilla oil is because that's what I had on hand — it's said to be high in omega-3s — but when it comes to flavor, sesame oil wins by a mile.

Skip the Meat. Seriously.

I added pork thinking I needed the protein and fat to feel full. Turns out, the version with just cabbage and rice was the best. Clean, simple, nothing in the way.

Yondu was a revelation. What used to taste like plain salt-and-pepper stir-fry became something noticeably richer and more complex. I finally understand why top Korean restaurants consider it a must-have.

Next time, I'd like to talk about MSG.