Compare this recipe, which is usually served cold as a panchan (small appetizer or side dish), with the Japanese version on page 184, and you’ll have a vision of the difference between Japanese and Korean cooking, which are closely linked and starkly different at the same time.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 or more servings

　　3 tablespoons dark sesame oil

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 pound spinach, large stems removed, roughly chopped

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　1 tablespoon soy sauce

　　Salt to taste

　　1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (page 596) for garnish

　　

Step 1

Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; a minute later, add the garlic. The instant it begins to sizzle, add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is completely wilted. Turn the heat to low.

　　

Step 2

Stir in the sugar and soy sauce and cook for a few more moments. Turn off the heat; taste and add salt (or more soy sauce if you prefer) if necessary. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold, drizzled with the remaining sesame oil and sprinkled with the sesame seeds.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.