Gimbap
Encyclopedia
Gimbap or kimbap is a popular Korean dish made from steamed white rice (bap) and various other ingredients, rolled in gim
(sheets of dried laver seaweed) and served in bite-size slices. Gimbap is often eaten during picnics or outdoor events, or as a light lunch, served with takuan
or kimchi
.
Gimbap is derived from Japanese futomaki (Makizushi) during the Japanese rule
(1910-1945).
Traditionally, the rice is lightly seasoned with salt
and sesame oil
/perilla oil
. Popular protein ingredients are fish cakes, imitation crab meat, eggs and/or seasoned beef rib-eye. Vegetables usually include cucumber
s, spinach
, carrot
s and danmuji
(pickled radish
). After the gimbap has been rolled and sliced, it is typically served with danmuji.
, like olive oil on gim, is now becoming more widespread among the health-conscious. Rarely, sweet rice is mixed in gimbap rice.
Nowadays, the rice in kimbap can be many kinds of black rice, boiled rice and cereals etc.
Gim
is dried, pressed seaweed made from the edible species, laver
. Gim may be roasted and seasoned with oil and salt, roasted but unseasoned, or raw and unseasoned. The oil used for roasting gim is traditionally sesame oil; however, today, corn and canola oils are also commonly used, especially with the pre-seasoned packs of gim sold widely in stores. Olive oil is also becoming more prevalent. For gimbap, the roasted, unseasoned variation is typically used.
Besides the common ingredients listed above, some varieties may include cheese
, spicy cooked squid
, kimchi
, luncheon meat, or spicy tuna
. The gim may be brushed with sesame oil
or sprinkled with sesame seeds. In a variation, sliced pieces of gimbap may be lightly fried with egg coating.
Samgak gimbap
(삼각김밥) is a triangle-shaped gimbap sold in many convenience stores in South Korea. Samgak gimbap also come in many varieties.
'Chungmu gimbap (충무김밥) is a gimbap made with only rice as the filler ingredient. Originating from the seaside city of Chungmu
, the rolls are thinner and the surface is usually left unseasoned. Chungmu gimbap is traditionally served with side dishes of kolddugi muchim (꼴뚜기 무침), sliced baby octupus marinated and fermented in a spicy red pepper sauce, and radish kimchi
(무김치).
chamchi kimbap (참치김밥) is another commonly found gimbap. It is usually filled with tuna, marinated sesame leaf, mayonnaise as well as other ingredients.
's largest urban weekly, straight.com, spotlighted gimbap in an article comparing it with sushi entitled "Korean Kimbap Rolls Out of Sushi's Shadow". The article ends with this comment: "No need for soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger: kimbap stands alone. It's a star waiting to be discovered."
Many South Korean fast food restaurant franchises specialize in gimbap and noodles, and these establishments are extremely diverse in the cuisine they offer. Such chains include Gimbap Heaven (김밥천국), Gimbap Land (김밥나라), Gimgane (김家네), Gimbap and Spaghetti (김밥과 스파게티) and so on. These restaurants serve not only gimbap but also numerous other dishes, ranging from small snacks to pork cutlets
, ramyeon, bibimbap
and other dishes.
Gim (food)
Gim , also spelled as kim, is the Korean-word for edible seaweed in the genus Porphyra. In Welsh this food is called laver...
(sheets of dried laver seaweed) and served in bite-size slices. Gimbap is often eaten during picnics or outdoor events, or as a light lunch, served with takuan
Takuan
, also known as takuwan or takuan-zuke, is a popular traditional Japanese pickle. It is made from daikon radish. In addition to being served alongside other types of tsukemono in traditional Japanese cuisine, takuan is also enjoyed at the end of meals as it is thought to aid digestion.Takuan is...
or kimchi
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
.
Gimbap is derived from Japanese futomaki (Makizushi) during the Japanese rule
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
(1910-1945).
Ingredients
The most basic component of gimbap is rice. From there, you can find many variations on the filling, including fish, meat, eggs, and vegetables, whether pickled, roasted, or fresh.Traditionally, the rice is lightly seasoned with salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and sesame oil
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
/perilla oil
Perilla oil
Perilla oil is obtained from the seeds of herbs of the genus Perilla, usually from the species Perilla frutescens. The seeds contain 35 to 45 percent oil which is obtained by pressing. Perilla oil is used along with synthetic resins in the production of varnishes...
. Popular protein ingredients are fish cakes, imitation crab meat, eggs and/or seasoned beef rib-eye. Vegetables usually include cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
s, spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
, carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s and danmuji
Takuan
, also known as takuwan or takuan-zuke, is a popular traditional Japanese pickle. It is made from daikon radish. In addition to being served alongside other types of tsukemono in traditional Japanese cuisine, takuan is also enjoyed at the end of meals as it is thought to aid digestion.Takuan is...
(pickled radish
Radish
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
). After the gimbap has been rolled and sliced, it is typically served with danmuji.
Varieties
Short grain white rice is usually used, although short-grain brown riceBrown rice
Brown rice is unmilled or partly milled rice, a kind of whole, natural grain. It has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier and more nutritious than white rice, but goes rancid more quickly because the germ—which is removed to make white rice—contains fats that can spoil...
, like olive oil on gim, is now becoming more widespread among the health-conscious. Rarely, sweet rice is mixed in gimbap rice.
Nowadays, the rice in kimbap can be many kinds of black rice, boiled rice and cereals etc.
Gim
Gim (food)
Gim , also spelled as kim, is the Korean-word for edible seaweed in the genus Porphyra. In Welsh this food is called laver...
is dried, pressed seaweed made from the edible species, laver
Laver
Laver might refer to one of the following:*Laver , an edible algae often considered to be a seaweed*Laver, a basin for ceremonial ablution*Laver, a river in North Yorkshire*High Laver a village in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England...
. Gim may be roasted and seasoned with oil and salt, roasted but unseasoned, or raw and unseasoned. The oil used for roasting gim is traditionally sesame oil; however, today, corn and canola oils are also commonly used, especially with the pre-seasoned packs of gim sold widely in stores. Olive oil is also becoming more prevalent. For gimbap, the roasted, unseasoned variation is typically used.
Besides the common ingredients listed above, some varieties may include cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, spicy cooked squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, kimchi
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
, luncheon meat, or spicy tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
. The gim may be brushed with sesame oil
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
or sprinkled with sesame seeds. In a variation, sliced pieces of gimbap may be lightly fried with egg coating.
Samgak gimbap
Onigiri
, also known as or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori . Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume , salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a natural preservative...
(삼각김밥) is a triangle-shaped gimbap sold in many convenience stores in South Korea. Samgak gimbap also come in many varieties.
'Chungmu gimbap (충무김밥) is a gimbap made with only rice as the filler ingredient. Originating from the seaside city of Chungmu
Tongyeong
Tongyeong is a coastal city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. In 2010, it had an area of 238.81 ㎢ and a population of 139,869 people. It is divided into 1 eup , 6 myeon and 11 dong . Chungmu city and Tongyeong county were reunited in 1995, creating Tongyeong City as we know it today...
, the rolls are thinner and the surface is usually left unseasoned. Chungmu gimbap is traditionally served with side dishes of kolddugi muchim (꼴뚜기 무침), sliced baby octupus marinated and fermented in a spicy red pepper sauce, and radish kimchi
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
(무김치).
chamchi kimbap (참치김밥) is another commonly found gimbap. It is usually filled with tuna, marinated sesame leaf, mayonnaise as well as other ingredients.
International familiarity
Gimbap was selected as one of the top 100 foods of Korea for foreigners. CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's largest urban weekly, straight.com, spotlighted gimbap in an article comparing it with sushi entitled "Korean Kimbap Rolls Out of Sushi's Shadow". The article ends with this comment: "No need for soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger: kimbap stands alone. It's a star waiting to be discovered."
Franchise
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu , invented in the late 19th century, is a popular dish in Japan. It consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage and/or miso soup...
, ramyeon, bibimbap
Bibimbap
Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed meal." Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul and gochujang . A raw or fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating...
and other dishes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size(g) | 250 | Calories(kcal) | 397 |
| Carbohydrate(g) | 71.3 | Protein(g) | 11.8 |
| Lipid(g) | 6.6 | Cholesterol(mg) | 86.6 |
| Dietary Fiber(g) | 0.8 | Calcium(mg) | 72 |
| Iron(mg) | 2.6 | Sodium(mg) | 669 |
| Vitamin A(㎍ R.E) | 347.9 | Vitamin B2(mg) | 0.22 |
| Vitamin C(mg) | 11.4 | Vitamin E | 1.91 |
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Korean cuisine
External links
- Gimbap recipe at Chow Times Tuna gimbap recipe at Naver Kitchen
- Traditional Gimbap Recipe, Korean-Cooking.com