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 (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. 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.
250px|thumb|alt=Homemade bibimbap with a fried egg|Homemade bibimbap with a fried egg
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 (1679–1760), it was recorded as goldong-ban (). The dish was also recorded in Complete Works of Seongho by Yi Ik (1681–1764) as goldong (), 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.
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, 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. 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 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. Bibimbap has also been described as a symbol of the Korean culture to non-Koreans due to Korea becoming more accessible to foreigners and multicultural traditions.
Preparation
thumb|A selection of ingredients for making bibimbap
Bibimbap uses various ingredients. Common vegetables include julienned oi (cucumber), aehobak (courgette/zucchini), mu (radish), mushrooms, doraji (bellflower root), gim, 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. 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.
Hot stone pot (dolsot bibimbap, )
Hot stone pot bibimbap (dolsot-bibimbap, ) 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 (). 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 (yukhoe)
- Wild vegetables (sanchae)