Minari Plants- South Korean watercress/celery
I just finished watching the award winning movie Minari. I enjoyed it very much. The rent was for $5.99 and the three of us ( David III, Dinah and I) were enjoying the movie. After watching the movie I immediately searched for the Minari plant. The description of the plant is below. If you have not seen the movie, here's the trailer and summary.
Minari (Korean: 미나리 [minaɾi], transl. "water celery") is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. It stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, and Will Patton. A semi-autobiographical take on Chung's upbringing, the plot follows a family of South Korean immigrants who try to make it in the rural United States during the 1980s.
Minari had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020, winning both the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. It began a one-week virtual release on December 11, 2020, and was released theatrically and via virtual cinema on February 12, 2021, by A24.
The film received critical acclaim, with many declaring it one of the best films of 2020. It earned six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor (Yeun), and Best Supporting Actress (Youn), with Youn winning for her performance, making her the first Korean to win an Academy Award for acting. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and earned six nominations at the 74th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film Not in the English Language.( From Wikipedia).
Plot and Story:
In 1983, the Korean immigrant Yi family moves from California to their new plot of land in rural Arkansas, where father Jacob hopes to grow Korean produce to sell to vendors in Dallas. One of his first decisions is to decline the services of a water diviner and he digs a well in a spot he finds on his own. He enlists the help of Paul, an eccentric local man and Korean War veteran. While Jacob is optimistic about the life ahead, his wife Monica is disappointed and worries about their son David's heart condition; he is frequently told not to run due to this. Jacob and Monica work sexing chicks at the nearby hatchery and argue constantly while David and his sister Anne eavesdrop.
To help watch the children during the day, they arrange for Monica's mother Soon-ja to travel from South Korea. David, who is forced to share a room with her, avoids her because she does not conform to his idea of how a grandmother should be. Still, Soon-ja attempts to adjust to life in the States and bond with the children.
The well that Jacob dug runs dry. Jacob is reluctant to pay for county water, but eventually is forced to do so. He runs into additional difficulties, such as the vendor in Dallas cancelling their order at the last minute. Even so, he perseveres despite Monica's vocal desire to return to California. This brings their marriage closer to breaking point.
Meanwhile, Soon-ja takes David to plant minari seeds by the creek. She tells them how resilient and useful the plant is, and predicts plentiful growth. David finally begins to warm to his grandmother after she teaches him card games, bandages his wounds, and soothes him to sleep. Soon-ja also encourages him to do more physical activity, something his parents discourage, but she says that he is stronger than they think.
Soon-ja suddenly suffers a stroke overnight. She survives with medical treatment, but is left with impaired movement and speech.
Jacob, Monica, Anne and David head to Oklahoma City for David's heart appointment and to meet a vendor to sell Jacob's produce. Although they learn that David's heart condition has dramatically improved and Jacob makes a deal to sell vegetables to a Korean grocer, Jacob also indirectly admits to Monica that the success of his crops is more important to him than the stability of their family. Following an emotional argument, the two tacitly agree to separate.
However, Soon-ja accidentally sets the barn containing the produce on fire in their absence. Upon arriving home, Jacob rushes in to save the crops, and Monica soon follows. Eventually, the fire grows out of control, and they decide to save each other while leaving the barn to burn. A distraught and confused Soon-ja begins to wander off into the distance, as Anne and David call for her to come back. Seeing that she is not responding to them, David breaks into a sprint to meet her, blocking her path. Soon-ja seems to recognize David for a moment, and reaches for his hand and the grandchildren lead her back home. The family is asleep on the floor, collapsed from the fatigue of the night before. Above them, Soon-ja is awake, in a chair, watching them sleep with a subdued expression.
Some time later, Jacob and Monica are with the water diviner who finds a spot for a well. They mark it with a stone signifying their intention to stay on the farm. Jacob and David then head to the creek to harvest the minari, which had grown successfully, with Jacob noting how good a spot Soon-ja had picked to plant them.
What is minari Plant?
A species of water dropwort, minari, also known as Korean watercress, water celery, water parsley, or Java water dropwort, is a vegetable found in temperate and tropical climes across Asia. As in the film, it grows rampant along the banks of streams and over damp ground, requiring little attention. According to Irene Yoo, writing for Slate, it is also believed to have medicinal properties, with a detoxifying effect. Importantly, there are several other species of water dropwort that are extremely poisonous, so it is unwise to forage unless properly trained.
In South Korean cooking, it is commonly the stems of the minari plant that are used as a vegetable and herb in kimchi, bibimbap, fish stews, and a variety of namul (a category of side dishes made with leafy green vegetables). Though some suggest substituting parsley, which looks similar to minari, the flavor is quite different.
Minari can be found in many Korean grocery stores when it's in season, typically in early spring. It also may be available in other local produce markets serving Chinese, Japanese, or Korean communities. Or if you live near a stream, try buying some seeds and growing it yourself. You might be surprised by the results, particularly if you can wait a year.
Once you get your hands on a bundle of minari, there are countless ways to prepare it. Try it in this classic napa cabbage kimchi, or this particularly light haemul pajeon, perfect for spring. Or keep it simple, and serve it as a namul along with rice and other banchan.
The Minari plant reminded me of the Philippines Kangkong ( water spinach) that also like to grow on moist places (in rice paddies and river beds) wild or cultivated. For some recipes, here's the link:
https://www.beyondkimchee.com/minari-korean-water-dropwort-salad/
Meanwhile enjoy this rendition from the 2Cellos of The Trooper's Overture. This would wake you up if you are still sleepy.
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