Bibimbap (비빔밥?, “mixed rice”) is a Korean dish consisting of a mix of bap (a boiled rice or other cereal) and vegetables, often with eggs and beef or chicken, with the addition of gochujang (chili paste) and, in the South Korean version, sesame oil, soy sauce, or soybean paste.
▶There are several variants, the most common of which the rice is served inside a hot stone plate called Dolsot, heated to high temperatures. Or in a brass pot.
▶The vegetables commonly used in bibimbap are: cucumbers, zucchinis, Korean radish, mushrooms, bellflower roots, and gim seaweed cut into julienne strips, as well as spinach, soybean sprouts, and fern stems.
▶Tofu or a lettuce leaf can be added, while chicken and seafood sometimes replace beef.
▶Each ingredient (paired with a color) has its nutritional properties and has a beneficial effect on a specific organ within the body.
Black and dark colors represent the north and the kidneys.
Red or orange indicate the south and the heart.
Green symbolizes the east and the liver.
White represents the west and the lungs.
Yellow indicates the center and the stomach.
For better visual impact, the vegetables are often positioned so that the adjacent colors complement each other.
From the Joseon period to the 20th century, Bibimbap was called goldongban, “rice made by mixing various types of food” and was consumed on New Year’s Eve to finish all leftovers.
Featured in the ViaggiandoMangiando on-air episode of July 22, 2022, live video HERE.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Korean
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups Japanese rice
- 1 carrot
- 2 zucchinis
- 10 1/2 oz Shiitake mushrooms (or similar)
- 7 oz spinach (or pack choy)
- 3 1/2 oz soybean sprouts
- 12 oz ground beef
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- to taste sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- to taste gochujang
- to taste sesame seeds
- 4 eggs
Tools
- 1 Pot stone pot
Steps
Prepare gohan rice. Recipe HERE.
Cut the vegetables into julienne strips.
Blanch the spinach and soybean sprouts.
Marinate the meat in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic for at least 15 minutes.
Stir-fry in the same pan with a drizzle of sesame oil and garlic: the cut vegetables, spinach, soybean sprouts, and meat.
If you have them, place the lava stone pots in the oven to heat.
Cook the eggs sunny-side up or fried.
Drizzle oil into the stone pots then assemble the bibimbap: base of rice and to the south the carrots and chili paste, to the north the mushrooms and meat, to the east the spinach, to the west the soybean sprouts, in the center the egg.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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The gochujang sauce is a red chili paste that the Codex Alimentarius defined as a typically Korean food in 2009.
The preparation methods used in Korea have become a global standard and have been assigned the name gochujang (the original Korean name). Therefore, any other chili paste or cream prepared differently or with different ingredients cannot be called gochujang sauce and cannot be considered Korean food.
The preparation methods used in Korea have become a global standard and have been assigned the name gochujang (the original Korean name). Therefore, any other chili paste or cream prepared differently or with different ingredients cannot be called gochujang sauce and cannot be considered Korean food.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What type of rice is used in Korea?
Rice in Korea 쌀 (SSAL) is one of the essential foods in the cuisine.
The most used variety is similar to that used in Japan, uruchimai, the short-grain, and Koreans eat it almost every day.
To steam it, a rice cooker is usually used, although it can be easily prepared using a pot with a lid.
