Ssam
Encyclopedia
Ssam, literally meaning "wrapped," refers to a dish in Korean cuisine in which usually leaf vegetables are used to wrap a piece of meat such as pork
. It is often accompanied by a condiment
known as ssamjang
and can also be topped with raw or cooked garlic
, onion
, green pepper or a banchan
(small side dishes) such as kimchi
.
era who had been taken as maids or ladies of the court to China
and by the end of the Joseon
era, ssam had become an established seasonal dish. On the day of Daeboreum
, the ssam that was eaten on that holiday was called bokssam (복쌈, good fortune ssam).
(dried laver) are also used. Ssam is also used to refer to dishes using beef tongue, roe, pork, clams, or sea cucumbers wrapped and cooked in eggs.
The version made with steamed
pork is commonly known as bossam
and is a popular dish throughout Korea. Ssambap is a dish in which rice is included. Ssam is also slowly gaining popularity outside of Korea and is being served at restaurants in New York City
and Tokyo
.
Specific types:
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
. It is often accompanied by a condiment
Condiment
A condiment is an edible substance, such as sauce or seasoning, added to food to impart a particular flavor, enhance its flavor, or in some cultures, to complement the dish. Many condiments are available packaged in single-serving sachets , like mustard or ketchup, particularly when supplied with...
known as ssamjang
Ssamjang
Ssamjang is a thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine. The sauce is made of doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions, and optionally brown sugar.-Use:...
and can also be topped with raw or cooked garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
, green pepper or a banchan
Banchan
Banchan refers to small dishes of food served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. This word is used both in the singular and plural....
(small side dishes) such as 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...
.
History
According to the book of customs, Dongguk Sesigi, ssam was eaten by the women of the GoryeoGoryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
era who had been taken as maids or ladies of the court to China
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
and by the end of the Joseon
Joseon
Joseon, Chosŏn, Choseon or Chosun are English spellings of the Korean *word for "Korea". It may refer to:*Korea*Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, from 2333 BC to 108 BC.*Joseon Dynasty of Korea, from AD 1392 to 1910....
era, ssam had become an established seasonal dish. On the day of Daeboreum
Daeboreum
Daeboreum is a Korean holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the new year of the lunar Korean calendar. This holiday is accompanied by many traditions.-Traditions:One familiar custom is to crack nuts with one's teeth...
, the ssam that was eaten on that holiday was called bokssam (복쌈, good fortune ssam).
Variations
Various vegetables are used as ingredients such as lettuce, cabbage, bean leaves, and pumpkin leaves, which as either used raw or blanched. Seaweed such as miyeok (sea mustard seaweed) and gimGim (food)
Gim , also spelled as kim, is the Korean-word for edible seaweed in the genus Porphyra. In Welsh this food is called laver...
(dried laver) are also used. Ssam is also used to refer to dishes using beef tongue, roe, pork, clams, or sea cucumbers wrapped and cooked in eggs.
The version made with steamed
Steaming
Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. Steaming is considered a healthy cooking technique and capable of cooking almost all kinds of food.-Method:...
pork is commonly known as bossam
Bossam (food)
Bossam is a type of ssam in Korean cuisine in which steamed pork is wrapped in a leaf vegetable such as red lettuce or sesame leaf, often accompanied by a condiment known as ssamjang. It is usually topped with raw or cooked garlic, onion, pepper, or, most commonly, sweet kimchi...
and is a popular dish throughout Korea. Ssambap is a dish in which rice is included. Ssam is also slowly gaining popularity outside of Korea and is being served at restaurants in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Specific types:
- Gim ssam (김쌈), wrapped with gimGim (food)Gim , also spelled as kim, is the Korean-word for edible seaweed in the genus Porphyra. In Welsh this food is called laver...
, seaweed - Sangchu ssam (상추쌈), wrapped with lettuce
- Baechu ssam (배추쌈), wrapped with napa cabbage leaf
- Kkaenip ssam (깻잎쌈), wrapped with perillaPerillaPerilla is the common name of the herbs of the genus Perilla of the mint family, Lamiaceae. In mild climates, the plant reseeds itself. There are both green-leafed and purple-leafed varieties, which are generally recognized as separate species by botanists. The leaves resemble stinging nettle...
leaf - Chwi ssam (취쌈), wrapped with chwinamulChwinamulChwinamul is a Korean leaf vegetable. It consists of the leaves of various species of wild flowering plants, including Aster scaber. There are approximately 24 edible varieties in Korea of which most are found on mountains...
- Hobakip ssam (호박잎쌈), wrapped with pumpkin leaf
- Kimchi ssam (김치쌈), wrapped with kimchi
- Jeonbok ssam (전복쌈), wrapped with sliced and soaked dried abalone
- Muneo ssam (문어쌈), wrapped with sliced octopus
- Po'ssam (포쌈), wrapped with seasoned raw beef
- Gotgam ssam (곶감쌈), wrapped with dried persimmonPersimmonA persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family . The word Diospyros means "the fire of Zeus" in ancient Greek. As a tree, it is a perennial plant...
- Milssam (밀쌈), wrapped with a thin crepe made from wheat flour
- Eossam (어쌈), wrapped with thin fish filet