Jin Sol’s Candied Garlic Scapes

My friend Jin Sol Kim, founder of Vital Little Plans candles, told me about candied garlic scapes. They sound wild – a sweet-salty-garlic treat? Sign me up.

They taste amazing.

Her recipe was simple, “Cut them, cook them in oil, add soy sauce and sugar.” Jin Sol sent this “recipe” to a dozen people, who then bombarded her with questions, like – what size do you cut do them? How much soy sauce? How long does it cook?

So I made the recipe a few times to translate her chaos into something you can repeat at home – and repeat it you will, because candied garlic scapes are delicious.

Ingredients

• 10 garlic scapes, cut into 1” pieces

• 1 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp cane sugar

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

Cut the garlic scapes into 1” long pieces.

Place a medium saucepan on medium heat and add the cut garlic scapes and water. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes until the garlic scapes are softened.

Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, and cane sugar. Stir to coat. Cook for 3–5 minutes until the soy sauce is thickened and the sugar is beginning to caramelize.

Add the sesame seeds and cook for another 30–60 seconds until the sesame seeds begin to take on some colour.

Serving

Eat warm as a side dish. Make a rice bowl with candied scapes and a fried egg. Allow to cool and use as a topper for salads. Eat it straight from the bowl as a TV snack. This recipe is addictive.