Korean Green Onions (Pa)
파 · 대파 · 쪽파pa · dae-pa · jjok-pa
Thick daepa, slender jjokpa and the green onions in almost every dish
Pa (green onion) is the most used vegetable in Korean cooking after garlic. Korean markets sell several kinds, and recipes often specify which: thick, sweet daepa for soups and broths, slender jjokpa for pancakes and kimchi, and very thin silpa for garnish.
- Korean name
- 파 · 대파 · 쪽파 (pa · dae-pa · jjok-pa)
- What it is
- Thick daepa, slender jjokpa and the green onions in almost every dish
- Storage
- Wrap in paper towel and refrigerate in a bag for up to a week, or chop and freeze for soups and stews.
- Substitute
- Ordinary scallions work for jjokpa.
- Recipes
- Used in 270 recipes on coo K food
The main kinds
Daepa is a large green onion, like a thin leek, with a long white stalk that turns sweet when cooked. It flavors broths, stews, stir-fries and bulgogi, and is sliced on a diagonal as garnish for soups. Jjokpa is slender and tender, used whole for pajeon and in kimchi (pa-kimchi), and as a finely chopped garnish. Silpa is very thin and mild.
How it is used
Green onion roots and tops are simmered in broths, the whites are stir-fried with oil at the start of cooking to make an aromatic oil (pa-gireum), and the greens finish almost every soup. Pa-muchim — shredded green onion dressed with chili, vinegar and sesame — is the classic side for grilled pork belly.
🧊 How to store it
Wrap in paper towel and refrigerate in a bag for up to a week, or chop and freeze for soups and stews. Standing the roots in a glass of water on the windowsill keeps them growing.
🔄 Substitutes
Ordinary scallions work for jjokpa. For daepa, use the white and light-green parts of a thin leek or several scallions.
🛒 Where to buy
This is a fresh ingredient, so it is best bought in person at a Korean or pan-Asian grocery store such as H Mart, or through an online Asian grocer that delivers fresh produce in your area. Look for it under its Korean name, 파 · 대파 · 쪽파 (pa · daepa · jjokpa).
