Kimchi fried rice
A popular South Korean fried rice dish made with kimchi.
Kimchi fried rice, or kimchi-bokkeum-bap (김치볶음밥), is a type of bokkeum-bap ("fried rice") that is widely eaten in South Korea. Its main ingredients are kimchi and rice, but it can also include whatever is on hand, such as chopped vegetables or meats like Spam.
For the best results, cooks usually prefer leftover chilled rice and over-ripened kimchi. Older kimchi, which is also used in kimchi jjigae, gives a richer flavor and better texture than fresh kimchi and newly cooked rice. Before cooking, the filling inside the kimchi—called kimchiso, made from shredded radish, green onions, and jeotgal (fermented seafood)—is removed, and the kimchi is squeezed to get rid of its brine. Skipping this step can make the dish turn out mushy.
Besides kimchi and rice, many other ingredients can go into the dish. Pork and Spam are the most common choices, but beef, chicken, bacon, ham, canned tuna, or shrimp work too. For a meatless version, mushrooms can replace the meat, and the dish might then be called beoseot-kimchi-bokkeum-bap (버섯 김치볶음밥; "mushroom kimchi fried rice"). Meat and vegetables like onion, carrot, or zucchini are chopped and stir-fried together in a pan with a little vegetable or sesame oil. Minced garlic and sliced green pepper are sometimes added for seasoning. What goes in depends on personal taste and what's available.
Once cooked, the dish is served on a plate or in a bowl, often topped with a fried egg. Thinly shredded gim (dried seaweed), chopped scallions, and sesame seeds are commonly sprinkled on top to boost flavor and as a garnish.
Because kimchi fried rice is cheap and quick to make, it is a favorite among students living alone who cannot afford expensive meals. It is also a common lunch item at bunsikjeom (snack bars). Since the dish is hot and spicy, it is usually eaten with danmuji (pickled radish) and a small bowl of mild, warm soup, such as miyeok-guk (seaweed soup) or kongnamul-guk (soybean sprout soup). In summer, cool dongchimi (a watery radish kimchi) is sometimes served alongside.
The dish has also appeared in South Korean pop culture. In the late 1980s, singer Byun Jin-sub released a song called "Wishes" (희망사항), in which he said his ideal girlfriend would be someone who makes good kimchi fried rice. In his 2010 song "I Need A Girl," Taeyang sings that his ideal girlfriend will eat the kimchi fried rice he cooks.
- Origin
- South Korea
- Type
- Bokkeum-bap (fried rice)
- Main ingredients
- Kimchi, rice
- Common additions
- Pork, Spam, beef, chicken, bacon, ham, canned tuna, shrimp, mushrooms, vegetables
- Typical accompaniments
- Danmuji, mild soup (e.g., miyeok-guk, kongnamul-guk), dongchimi
Lore & Background
Leftover chilled rice and over-ripened kimchi are usually preferred in preparing kimchi fried rice, as they can produce a richer flavor and texture. In preliminary preparation, surplus 'kimchiso' (김치소), the kimchi filling (mostly shredded radish, green onions, and jeotgal), is taken out, and the kimchi is squeezed to discard its brine; without this step, the dish can be mushy. Along with kimchi and rice, the dish can contain many kinds of ingredients, with pork or Spam being the most common; alternatives include beef, chicken, bacon, ham, canned tuna, or shrimp. Mushrooms can replace meat, in which case the dish may be named 'beoseot-kimchi-bokkeum-bap' (버섯 김치볶음밥; 'mushroom kimchi fried rice'). Meat and vegetables such as onion, carrot, or zucchini are chopped into the dish, and a small amount of minced garlic and sliced green pepper can be used as seasoning. These ingredients are fried in a pan with a little vegetable or sesame oil. After cooking, a fried egg is sometimes served on top, and thinly shredded gim, chopped scallions, and sesame seeds are often spread over it to enhance flavor and garnish.
Reader's Guide
Kimchi fried rice is significant as a cheap and easy-to-make dish favored by students living alone who cannot afford expensive meals. It is also a popular lunch item at a bunsikjeom ('bunsik place'). Because the dish is hot and spicy, it is typically served with danmuji and a small bowl of mild, warm soup such as miyeok-guk ('miyeok soup') or kongnamul-guk ('soybean sprout soup'); during summer, cool dongchimi (white, watery radish kimchi) may accompany it. The dish's popularity extends into South Korean pop culture: Byun Jin-sub, a popular male singer in the late 1980s, sang a song titled 'Wishes' (희망사항) in which he stated that his ideal girlfriend would cook good kimchi fried rice, and Taeyang says in his 2010 song 'I Need A Girl' that his ideal girlfriend will eat the kimchi fried rice he cooks. This reflects the dish's role as a comfort food and a marker of domestic skill in contemporary South Korean society.
Did You Know?
- Leftover chilled rice and over-ripened kimchi are usually preferred for making kimchi fried rice.
- If the kimchi brine is not squeezed out before cooking, the dish can become mushy.
- Mushroom kimchi fried rice is called 'beoseot-kimchi-bokkeum-bap' (버섯 김치볶음밥).
- Byun Jin-sub's 1980s song 'Wishes' mentions an ideal girlfriend who cooks good kimchi fried rice.
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