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Bibimbap

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Bibimbap
Dolsot-bibimbap (hot stone pot bibimbap)
TypeBap
Place of originKorea
Region or stateEast Asia
Associated cuisineKorean cuisine
VariationsDolsot-bibimbap, Jeonju-bibimbap, Jinju-bibimbap, Tongyeong-bibimbap
Korean name
Hangul
비빔밥
Revised Romanizationbibimbap
McCune–Reischauerpibimpap
IPA[pi.bim.p͈ap̚]

Bibimbap[1] (/ˈbiːbɪmbæp/ BEE-bim-bap;[2] Korean: 비빔밥; lit. "mixed rice"), sometimes romanized as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish.

The term bibim means "mixing" and bap is cooked rice. It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed or blanched seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). Egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions, stirred together thoroughly just before eating.[3]

In South Korea, Jeonju, Jinju, and Tongyeong are especially famous for their versions of bibimbap.[4] In 2017, the dish was listed at number 40 on the World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll compiled by CNN Travel.[5]

Homemade bibimbap with a fried egg
Homemade bibimbap with a fried egg

Etymologies

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Bibimbap has gone by a number of names over time.

Its earliest names appear in Korean hanja texts. Its first name was hondon-ban (混沌飯). This name appeared in the Yeokjogumun (역조구문; 歷朝舊聞) portion of the book Historical Notes of Gijae (기재잡기; 寄齋雜記), which was written by Bak Dongnyang (박동량; 朴東亮) around 1590.[6][7][8] In the Diary of Cheongdae by another Joseon scholar Gwon Sang-il (1679–1760), it was recorded as goldong-ban (骨董飯).[9] The dish was also recorded in Complete Works of Seongho by Yi Ik (1681–1764) as goldong (骨董),[7] in Complete Works of Cheongjanggwan by Yi deok-mu (1741–1793) as goldong-ban (汨董飯), and in Works of Nakhasaeng by Yi Hak-gyu (1770–1835) as both goldong-ban (骨董飯) and goldong (骨董).[9]

The hangul transcription beubwieum (브뷔음) first appears in the 1810 encyclopedia Mongyupyeon by Jang Hon.[8] The 1870 encyclopedia Myeongmul giryak states that the dish name is written as goldong-ban (骨董飯) in hanja but is read as bubaeban (捊排飯), a probable transcription of the native Korean bubim-bap (부빔밥).[9] Another name is beubwieumbap (브뷔음밥). The hanja dictionary (한대자전; 漢大字展) indeed contained "bubwida (부뷔다)" or "bubwium (부뷔움), Dong (董)" in hanja, which meant "mix" or "bibida" in Korean.[6]

By the late 19th century, it went by a number of names in hangul: bubwiumbap (부뷔움밥), bubieumbap (부비음밥), bubwimbap (부뷤밥), bubuimbap (부븸밥), bubwinbap (부뷘밥), and bubimbap (부빔밥)bubaeban (捊排飯) and goldongban (骨董飯). Other names in hanja include goldongban (骨董飯, 汨董飯), hondonban (混沌飯), and bubaeban (捊排飯) and also banyuban (盤遊飯).[6]

History

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The exact origin of bibimbap is unknown. People could have started mixing bap (rice) with banchan (side dishes) after the outdoor jesa (rites), such as sansinje (rite for mountain gods) or dongsinje (rite for village gods), 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. Jeonju Bibimbap is an old-fashioned dish.[10] Some scholars assert that bibimbap originates from the traditional practice of mixing all the food offerings made at a jesa (ancestral rite) in a bowl before partaking of it.[11]

Ordinary people ate bibimbap on the eve of the lunar new year as the people at that time felt that they had to get rid of all of the leftover side dishes before the new year. The solution to this problem was to put all of the leftovers in a bowl of rice and to mix them together.[12] Farmers ate bibimbap during farming season as it was the easiest way to make food for a large number of people.[13] Bibimbap was served to the king, usually as a lunch or a between-meal snack.[14] There was more than vegetables in this bibimbap.[15]

In Collected Works of Oju written by Yi Gyu-gyeong (1788–1856), 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.[7][9]

The first known recipe for bibimbap is found in the Siuijeonseo, an anonymous cookbook from the late 19th century.[16][17][18]

The late 20th century brought about the globalization of the 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.[19]

Culture

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Bibimbap is an extensively customizable food with a variety of ingredients that can be used in its creation. It has existed in Korea for centuries and even has a place in society today. It 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.[20]

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" (全州野史), tells of Jeonju bibimbap being used in occasions such as parties that included government officials of provincial offices. The second being, "Lannokgi" (蘭綠記), which told of bibimbap being made by the wives, of farmers, who had no time to prepare meals the traditional way with many side dishes, and instead they were able to throw most of the ingredients in a bowl sometimes adding whatever they happened to be cultivating.[20] Although bibimbap was originally rarely mentioned and mostly only in hanja records, it began to be more frequently referenced and in Hangul (Korean alphabets) records as well upon the creation of Hangul by the King Sejong the Great to improve the state's literacy.[20]

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.[20]

In the late 20th century, 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 Incheon International Airport began to serve it, and it was accepted more globally as a popular Korean dish.[21] 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.[19]

Preparation

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A selection of ingredients for making bibimbap

Bibimbap can be various kinds of bibimbap depending on the ingredients. Vegetables commonly used in bibimbap include julienned oi (cucumber), aehobak (courgette/zucchini), mu (radish), mushrooms, doraji (bellflower root), and gim, as well as spinach, soybean sprouts, and gosari (bracken fern stems). Dubu (tofu), either plain or sautéed, or a leaf of lettuce may be added, or chicken or seafood may be substituted for beef.[3] For visual appeal, the vegetables are often placed so adjacent colors complement each other. In the South Korean version, sesame oil, red pepper paste (gochujang), and sesame seeds are added.[21]

Variations

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Jeonju bibimbap
Dolsot bibimbap

Jeonju

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Jeonju bibimbap along with kongnamul-gukbap (bean sprout and rice soup) are signature dishes of Jeonju.[22] 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.[22] Jeonju also holds a Jeonju Bibimbap Festival every year.[23]

Hot stone pot (dolsot bibimbap, 돌솥 비빔밥)

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Hot stone pot bibimbap (dolsot-bibimbap, 돌솥 비빔밥)[1] is a variation of bibimbap served in a very hot dolsot (stone pot) 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 (누릉지). This variation of bibimbap is typically served to order, with the egg and other ingredients mixed in the pot just prior to consumption.

Yakcho (약초비빔밥)

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Yakcho-bibimbap (약초비빔밥) is from Jecheon. Yak (약) 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 other areas. The combination of the medicinal herbs and popular bibimbap made it one of the most popular foods in Jecheon.[24]

Hoedeopbap (회덮밥)

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Hoedeopbap (회덮밥) is a bibimbap with a variety of raw seafood, such as tilapia, 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.[citation needed]

Other

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  • Beef tartare (yukhoe)[1]
  • Freshwater snail soybean paste (ureong-doenjang)[1]
  • Roe (albap)
  • Spicy pork (jeyuk)[1]
  • Sprout (saessak)[1]
  • Tongyeong, served with seafood[25]
  • Wild vegetables (sanchae)[1]
  • Wild herbs
  • Brass bowl

Symbolism

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Some people[who?] attach symbolism to the ingredients of bibimbap. Black or dark colours represent north and the kidneys – for instance, shiitake mushrooms, bracken ferns or nori seaweed. Red or orange represents south and the heart, with chilli, carrots, and jujube dates. Green represents east and the liver, with cucumber and spinach. White is west or the lungs, with foods such as bean sprouts, radish, and rice. Yellow represents the centre, or stomach. Foods include pumpkin, potato or egg.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g 주요 한식명(200개) 로마자 표기 및 번역(영, 중, 일) 표준안 [Standardized Romanizations and Translations (English, Chinese, and Japanese) of (200) Major Korean Dishes] (PDF) (in Korean). National Institute of Korean Language. 30 July 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  2. ^ "bibimbap". OxfordDictionaries.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Organic Vegetables Bibimbap". Seoul Metropolitan Government. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011.
  4. ^ Chung, Kyung Rhan; Yang, Hye-Jeong; Jang, Dai-Ja; Kwon, Dae Young (2015). "Historical and biological aspects of bibimbap, a Korean ethnic food". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 2 (2): 74–83. doi:10.1016/j.jef.2015.05.002.
  5. ^ Cheung, Tim (12 July 2017). "Your pick: World's 50 best foods". CNN. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Yang, H.-J; Jang, D.-J.; Chung, K.R.; Kim, K.; Kwon, D.Y. (2015). "Origin names of gochu, kimchi, and bibimbap". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 4 (2): 162.172. doi:10.1016/j.jef.2015.11.006.
  7. ^ a b c 황광해 (17 August 2016). [황광해의 역사속 한식]비빔밥. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  8. ^ a b 황광해 (11 October 2018). [이야기가 있는 맛집(344)] 비빔밥②. Weekly Hankook (in Korean). Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d 신지훈; 권대영 (2 October 2015). 비빔밥의 기록은 시의전서가 최초?. 식품외식경제 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  10. ^ 황혜성 (1995). 비빔밥. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Academy of Korean Studies. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  11. ^ Choe, Sang-Hun; Torchia, Christopher (September 2007). Looking for a Mr. Kim in Seoul: A Guide to Korean Expressions. Master Communications, Inc. p. 168. ISBN 9781932457032. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Rice with Leftovers (1st Lunar Month)". Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Origin of bibimbap". Bibimbap Globalization Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Origin of Bibimbap". Bibimbap Globalization Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  15. ^ Yu Gu, So (1966). Limwon-sipyukji (林園十六志). Korea: Sŏul Taehakkyo Kojŏn Kanhaenghoe (서울大學校古典刊行會).
  16. ^ Koo Chun-sur. "Bibimbap: High-nutrition All-in-one Meal". Korea Foundation. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  17. ^ 비빔밥. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (Empas) (in Korean). Archived from the original on 25 May 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2006.
  18. ^ 전주비빔밥. Jeonbuk Food Culture Plaza (in Korean). Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2006.
  19. ^ a b Shen, Shawn (2017). "The Bibimbap Migration Theory? Challenges of Korea's Multicultural Mix and Social Integration Development". Journal of International Migration and Integration. 18 (3): 771–789. doi:10.1007/s12134-016-0489-6. S2CID 147778289.
  20. ^ a b c d Chung, Kyung Rhan; Yang, Hye-Jeong; Jang, Dai-Ja; Kwon, Dae Young (2015). "Historical and biological aspects of bibimbap, a Korean ethnic food". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 2 (2): 74. doi:10.1016/j.jef.2015.05.002.
  21. ^ a b Jang, Dai Ja; Lee, Ae Ja; Kang, Soon-A; Lee, Seung Min; Kwon, Dae Young (2016). "Does siwonhan-mat represent delicious in Korean foods?". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 3 (2): 159–162. doi:10.1016/j.jef.2016.06.002.
  22. ^ a b Lee, Y.-E. (2015). "Characteristics of soybean sprout locally cultivated in the Jeonju region, used for Bibimbap and Kongnamul-gukbap". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 2 (2): 84–89. doi:10.1016/j.jef.2015.05.004.
  23. ^ "2020 전주비빔밥축제". www.bibimbapfest.com (in Korean). Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  24. ^ 약초비빔밥. VisitKorea.or.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  25. ^ "Health Secret of Korea's Bibimbap, Prepared to Perfection". Korea Tourism Organization. 18 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  26. ^ "The Beginner's Guide To Bibimbap". Sous Chef. Speciality Cooking Supplies Limited. 18 September 2014. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
[edit]
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