Food & Beverage

Korean food, Kimbap – Korean sushi rolls

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We are all quite familiar with the Japanese sushi rolls. They are available everywhere. But did you know that Korean cuisine also has an impressive dish similar to sushi roll? Kimbap (or Gimbap) is a popular Korean dish that is like a sushi roll.

Kimbap or Gimbap is like a sushi roll. It translates to a seaweed rice roll made from a sheet of dried seaweed (kim or gim) and rice (bap or bop). The rice used in this is seasoned, and it incorporates many veggies.

Although they look similar, they differ significantly from each other. The rice in sushi is seasoned with vinegar giving it a slightly acidic taste. The kimbap rice is much sweeter and is seasoned with sesame oil. The filling is also different in both: Japanese incorporate mostly raw fish in sushi, including tuna, chopped scallops, and salmon. The kimbap filling is mostly cooked ingredients like veggies, grilled bulgogi, or preserved ingredients like kimchi, canned tuna, and cheese.

Another variation is the choice of rice in kimbap. You can use white rice, brown rice, or even black rice.

 

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What on earth is KIMBAP? And how am I gonna explain that to u guys without using the word sushi? 🍙🍱 Kim-Bap consists of the two korean words KIM=seaweed and BAP=cooked #rice. The seaweed sheet is roasted and a bit thinner than the Japanese one and its size the double. Kimbap could be compared to the Japanese futomaki rolls as it has the seaweed outside and is not rolled inside-out. The rice is seasoned differently than Japanese sushi rice: we use salt, sesame oil and freshly roasted sesame seeds to season it. The quality of the rice, its texture and the seasoning is essential! It must not be neither too sticky, nor too dry, nor over-seasoned nor tasteless… not an easy task to do, folks! Then u put a lot of different ingredients in it. Classic Korean kimbap normally has cucumber, pickled radish, surimi, fishcake, ham, spinach and carrots in it. As we veganized our kimbap we stick to mainly #veggies such as pickled radish, burdock root, spinach, carrots and replace the non-veggie stuff by new ingredients such as spicy marinated #tofu, #avocado, seasoned fresh beetroot, orange or purple #sweetpotato or caramelized tempeh…we always try new stuff🤗 The ingredients such as the spinach, the burdock roots, the radish or the carrots are already pickled or seasoned itself so #kimbap is a lot tastier than classic #sushi and in Korea it is eaten without soy sauce and wasabi. Once rolled ready the kimbap rolls receive a #tasty finish by being spread with aromatic sesameoil and beeing sprinkled with sea salt and freshly roasted sesame seeds. Folks, I have fallen in love with kimbap years ago…and I want to share this love with u! And one day, sushi will be referred to as ‘Japanese Kimbap’😊😊 #김밥 #kimbapspot #koreansoulfood #colourful#plantbased#handmade #withlove #eattherainbow#whatveganseat #instafood #vegan #govegan #vegansofig #vegansushi #veggieheaven #foodporn #veganfoodshare #veganfoodspot #streetfoodfestival #ladenein #bestofvegan @bestofvegan @bestofavocado @plantbasednews @originmagazine @thrivemags @bjoernmoschinski @sebastiancopien @deutschlandistvegan @veganshares @veganvultures @veganeatsplease @vegancommunity @veganheroes

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Just like many other Korean dishes, there are many versions of kimbap that you can try. Nowadays you can put anything in the filling along with rice. It can be spicy, cheesy, or fresh. You can adjust it according to your taste and diet.

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Different varieties of Kimbap

Ya-chae kimbap This one is for all the vegetarians amongst us. Here, the filling includes mainly veggies with rice. It is not only tasty but healthy too!

Nal-chi-al kimbap A seafood version where the rice has fish eggs as a filler.

Cham-chi kimbap – It has a savory taste with a well-balanced mix of tuna and perilla leaves in the filling.

Soe-go-gi kimbap – Beef with rice is the filling (or bulgogi in Korean) in this version of kimbap. Although the bulgogi is heavenly on its own, imagine what it will be like when mixed with the perfect amount of rice and veggies in a bite-size portion. It is simply amazing!

Chung-mu kimbap – A more straightforward version where plain rice-only rolls are served with spicy sauce. It originated from Tonyong, a Korean city (earlier known as Chungmu). This kimbap stays fresh much longer as compared to all other versions.

Chi-jeu kimbap – Something for cheese lovers around the world. The seaweed wraps around a filling of cheese and rice.

Gye-ran kimbap – Instead of seaweed on the outside, the seaweed rice roll is wrapped with an egg on the outside.

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Nu-deu kimbap – It’s a unique take on kimbap where even the seaweed is covered. There is rice on the inside and rice on the outside of the seaweed layer.

Kim-chi kimbap – Just as the name suggests, the kimbap is filled with Korea’s favorite side dish, kimchi! It is very flavourful and spicy, and it pairs well with a bowl of stew.

Don-kka-seu kimbap – In this, rice is mixed with pork cutlet as a filling.

Weon-jo kimbap – It is a healthier option that combines meat with some fresh vegetables. The rice contains a mixture of veggies, ham, and crab meat, and the whole thing is encased in seaweed.

Sam-gak kimbap – it is a triangle-shaped kimbap that can be filled with any variation of ingredients.

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If we compare kimbap with most Western dishes, then kimbap is like a sandwich. As a sandwich, it is easy to make, available everywhere, easy to customize, and even sold pre-packed in stores. You can eat it at any time of the day, and it is a great picnic food companion.

How to make Kimbap?

 

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♡ Let me show you #Gimbap today. I’m sure you guys will love it! Somewhat different from Japanese rolls. Would you like some? 😁 Nom nom nom 😋 . 인스타 하면서 참 좋은 분들을 많이 만나요. 각각의 모양새로 살아가다 우린 어떻게 인연이 됐을까 싶으리만큼 사는 곳도, 생김새도 다 다른데… 너무 감사하게 서로에게 힘이 되는 사이가 되었어요. #오늘도맛있는연주네식탁 저자인, #집밥의여왕 #김밥요정 @cook_and_candle 언니 집에 다녀왔어요. (벌써 며칠 됐는데 영상 편집할 시간이 도무지 안나서.. 이제야.. 😂) 인스타 상에산 맛은 보여드릴 수 없으니 ‘이거 정말 맛있을까?’라고 궁금하시기도 할 거에요. 😙 일단 경험상 잘 차리는 분들이 맛있게 만드시기도 하더라고요. #정연주김밥 도 엄지 척척, 아 엄지가 두 개 뿐이라 안타까울 정도에요. 👍🏻👍🏻 울 오빠는 언니네로 이사가자고 했는데.. 보고있나? 그럼 못써요… 🤣 #밥그릇사수바람 #봉봉영상 #bonbon_films #김밥

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About Jinju Jeon

Senior Writer @KoreaProductPost

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