Bibimbap
Bibimbap, sometimes romanised as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul and gochujang. Egg and sliced meat are common additions, stirred together thoroughly just before eating. The term bibim means "mixing" and bap is cooked rice.
South Korean cities such as Jeonju, Jinju, and Tongyeong are known for their versions of bibimbap. In 2017, the dish was voted the 40th-most delicious food in a Facebook poll by CNN Travel.
Etymologies
The earliest names for bibimbap appear in Korean hanja texts. Its first name was . This name appeared in the Yeokjogumun portion of the book Historical Notes of Gijae, which was written by Bak Dongnyang around 1590. In the Diary of Cheongdae by another Joseon scholar Gwon Sang-il, it was recorded as goldong-ban. The dish was also recorded in Complete Works of Seongho by Yi Ik as goldong, in Complete Works of Cheongjanggwan by Yi deok-mu as goldong-ban, and in Works of Nakhasaeng by Yi Hak-gyu as both goldong-ban and goldong.The hangul transcription first appears in the 1810 encyclopedia Mongyupyeon by Jang Hon. The 1870 encyclopedia states that the dish name is written as in hanja but is read as , a probable transcription of the native Korean . Another name is . The hanja dictionary indeed contained " " or ", Dong " in hanja, which meant "mix" or "" in Korean.
By the late 19th century, it went by a number of names in hangul: , , , , , and and . Other names in hanja include , , and and also .
History
The origin of bibimbap is unknown. Some scholars assert that bibimbap originates from the traditional practice of mixing all the food offerings made at a jesa in a bowl before partaking of it. People could have started mixing bap with banchan after the outdoor jesa, such as sansinje or dongsinje, where they needed to "eat with the god" but did not have as many cooking pots and items of crockery on hand as they would normally have at home.There are two separate ancient writings that suggest the original reasoning behind the creation and use of bibimbap. The first one, "People's Unofficial Story of Jeonju", describes Jeonju bibimbap, an old-fashioned dish, as being used on occasions such as parties that included government officials of provincial offices. The second text, "Lannokgi", described bibimbap being made by the wives of farmers, who had no time to prepare meals the traditional way with many side dishes. They instead combined the ingredients in one bowl, sometimes adding whatever they happened to be cultivating. Although bibimbap was originally rarely mentioned and mostly only in hanja records, it began to be more frequently referenced and in Hangul records as well upon the creation of Hangul by the King Sejong the Great to improve the state's literacy.
Bibimbap was served to the king, usually as a lunch or a between-meal snack. There was more than vegetables in this bibimbap.
Ordinary people ate bibimbap on the eve of the lunar new year. The people at that time felt that they had to get rid of all the leftover side dishes before the new year. The solution to this problem was to put all the leftovers in a bowl of rice and mix them together. Farmers ate bibimbap during farming season as it was the easiest way to make food for a large number of people. Bibimbap came from early rural Koreans taking leftover vegetables, sometimes having meat, with rice and mixing them in a bowl. This was cheap and did not require all of the time and space of a traditional meal.
The Collected Works of Oju written by Yi Gyu-gyeong, recorded numerous varieties of bibimbap including such ingredients as hoe, shad, prawn, salted shrimp, shrimp roe, gejang, wild chive, fresh cucumber, gim flakes, gochujang, soybean sprout, and various vegetables. It was also stated here that bibimbap was a local specialty of Pyongyang, along with naengmyeon and gamhongno.
The first known recipe for bibimbap is found in the Siuijeonseo, an anonymous cookbook from the late 19th century.
The division of Korea in the 20th century caused a cultural divide in the creation of bibimbap, with two types related to both North and South Korea. The most famous regions for traditional bibimbap happen to be Pyongyang for its vegetable bibimbap in the North and Jeonju for its Jeonju bibimbap.
The late 20th century brought about the globalisation of Korean culture, traditions, and food to many areas of the world, with many restaurant chains being opened up in various international airports that encourage the sale of bibimbap. Bibimbap started to become widespread in many countries in the West due to its simplicity, cheap cost, and delicious taste. Many airlines connecting to South Korea via Seoul and Busan began to serve it, and it was accepted more globally as a popular Korean dish. Bibimbap has also been described as a symbol of the Korean culture to non-Koreans due to Korea becoming more acceptable to foreigners and multicultural traditions.
Preparation
Bibimbap uses various ingredients. Common vegetables include julienned oi, aehobak, mu, mushrooms, doraji, gim, spinach, soybean sprouts, and gosari. Dubu, either plain or sautéed, or a leaf of lettuce may be added, or chicken or seafood may be substituted for beef. For visual appeal, the vegetables are often placed so adjacent colors complement each other. In the South Korean version, sesame oil, red pepper paste, and sesame seeds are added.Variations
Jeonju
Jeonju bibimbap along with kongnamul-gukbap are signature dishes of Jeonju. Jeonju bibimbap is usually topped with soy bean sprouts, hwangpo-muk, gochujang, jeopjang, and seasoned raw beef and served with kongnamul-gukbap. The rice of Jeonju bibimbap is specially prepared by being cooked in beef shank broth for flavor and finished with sesame oil for flavor and nutrients. Jeonju also holds a Jeonju Bibimbap Festival every year.Hot stone pot (''dolsot bibimbap'', )
Hot stone pot bibimbap is a variation of bibimbap served in a very hot dolsot in which a raw egg is cooked against the sides of the bowl. The bowl is so hot that anything that touches it sizzles for minutes. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil, making the layer of the rice touching the bowl cook to a crisp, golden brown known as nurungji. This variation of bibimbap is typically served to order, with the egg and other ingredients mixed in the pot just before consumption.''Yakcho'' ()
Yakcho-bibimbap is from Jecheon. Yak is a historical term for medicinal. Jecheon is a great place for medicinal herbs to grow. People could get a thicker root and more medicinal herb than in other areas. The combination of the medicinal herbs and popular bibimbap made it one of the most popular foods in Jecheon.''Hoedeopbap'' ()
Hoedeopbap is a bibimbap with a variety of raw seafood, such as olive flounder, salmon, tuna or sometimes octopus, but each bowl of rice usually contains only one variety of seafood. The term hoe in the word means raw fish. The dish is popular along the coasts of Korea, where fish are abundant.Other
- Beef tartare
- Freshwater snail soybean paste
- Roe
- Spicy pork
- Sprout
- Tongyeong, served with seafood
- Wild vegetables
- Wild herbs
- Brass bowl
Symbolism