Chungmu gimbap

Chungmu gimbap

Chungmu gimbap (충무김밥) is a gimbap , a skinny roll of veggies, mayonnaise and meat wrapped in rice and salty dried seaweed, sliced and served with the obligatory side of kimchi, that many foreigners refer to incorrectly as Korean sushi, made with only rice as the filler ingredient. Also, it comes with free-flow miso paste soup. Seoul officials said gimbap is one of dishes foreigners like favored by locals such as cold noodles known as naengmyeon, bossam or steamed pork wrapped in leaves, or rice and ingredients rolled in dried laver seaweed. Originating from the seaside city of Chungmu, the rolls are thinner and the rolls are nothing but rice and toasted seaweed—no vinegar, no salt, no sesame oil.^[1] Chungmu gimbap is traditionally served with side dishes of kolddugi muchim (꼴뚜기 무침), sliced baby octupus marinated and fermented in a spicy red pepper sauce, and radish kimchi (무김치).^[2] It is always served with toothpicks rather than real cutlery. Chungmu gimbap has popularity on Gukpung 81 Festival.

History

Chungmu kimbap is a local food that originated from one of the Korean cities called Tongyong, but the city was named "Chungmu" when this food was invented. Many people were fishermen in that area. The husbands would go to sea and stayed there all day to catch fish. Wives felt sorry for their husbands who worked hard, but couldn't eat well while out in the sea. They started to pack lunch boxes for them. Sometimes, they could make normal kimbap, but the ingredients inside of kimbap spoiled easily, so instead they rolled the kimbap with only seasoned rice -- with no other filling ingredients -- and prepared a delicious side using radish and squid. The spicy, sweet, and savory sauce make the pickled radish and squid a perfect match with the plain rice kimbap. This special kimbap eventually spread all over South Korea and there are many restaurants that specialized in this particular kimbap.

Although it was probably created in the 1970s, it did not gain popularity until 1981, when it was introduced to the nation at large during Gukpung 81, a festival held in Seoul by the military government to placate a population somewhat displeased after two successive military coups in 1979 and 1980 and the brutal suppression of a popular uprising in Gwangju (PCHEONG, 2014). Price There are many franchise restaurants in Korea that specialize this particular kimbap. Chungmu Kimbap is fairly cheap as compare to most restaurants around MyeonDong. The cost ranges from 3,000 to 6,000 won per serving.

Recipe

Main Ingredients

• 4 Cups Cooked Short Grain Rice (½ tsp Salt + 2 tsp Sesame Oil)

• 2 Generous Cups Korean Radish (10 oz)

• 2 Medium Squids (12 oz)

• 4 Sheets Dried Laver

• ¼ Cup Green Onion

• Some Extra Sesame Seeds (Garnish)

Brine Ingredients

• 1 Cup Water

• ¼ Cup Vinegar

• ¼ Cup Sugar

• 1 Tbsp Salt

Sauce Ingredients

• ¼ Cup Hot Pepper Powder

• 1½ Tbsp Soy Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Water

• 1 Tbsp Sugar

• 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

• ½ Tbsp Fish Sauce

• ½ Tbsp Vinegar

• ½ Tbsp Sesame Oil

• 2 tsp Garlic, Minced

• 2 Pinches Black Pepper

Directions

1. Cut the radish in a free form, 1/2" on the thickest part. Soak the pieces in salt, sugar and vinegar solution for 2 hours.
2. In a blender, puree onion, garlic, and anchovy sauce until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoon of the puree.
3. In a bowl combine the onion puree (except the reserved 2 tablespoon) and plum extract (if using), and mix well.
4. Drain the radish and mix with chili seasoning. Toss well. The radish side dish is done here. Making this 1 day ahead and let it sits on the counter to ferment would bring a nice flavor.
5. Move on to the squid side dish, usually the original chungmu kimbap uses semi-dried squid.
6. Cut into big pieces and blanch in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Be careful not to overcook. Otherwise they will get very tough.
7. Combine the reserved 2 tablespoon of onion puree with soy sauce, chili flakes, sugar, plum extract (if using), pepper, and toasted sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Set aside.
8. Combine squid, diced fish cakes, and the seasoning. Toss well to incorporate everything. The squid side dish is done here.
9. Cut the seaweed into 6 segments and spread a little bit of plain rice over each piece. Roll it up.

References

1. Rowland, A. (2013, March 5). After Hours: Kimbap Chunkuk in South Korea. Stars & Stripes.
2. Unknown. (2013). "Chungmu Kimbap of Myeong Dong충무김밥".
3. Holly. (2014). "Chungmu Kimbap, the famous seaweed rice rolls from my hometown".
4. Lee, A. [Aeri's Kitchen]. (2013, November 13). "Korean Food: Chungmu Kimbap (충무 김밥) [Video file"].
5. [PCHEONG]. (2014, May 30). "Gimbap".
6. Woo-young, L. (2011, October 25). Samgyeopsal favorite food of Seoul expats. Asia News Network.