Kimbap originates from a type of Japanese sushi called Makisushi (1910 – 1945). The name of the dish is very simple, “needle” is the name of dried seaweed leaves; “bap” simply means “rice”, so Kimbap is rice wrapped in seaweed leaves. In terms of shape, kimbap “seems” similar to Makisushi – also a Japanese dish of rice rolled in seaweed leaves. But Kimbap is usually bigger (fattier) because inside, the “filling” consists of many different foods. Kimbap is also cut into circles with a thinner thickness than Makisushi. If the same length of a sheet of seaweed, Maki is cut evenly into 6 slices, then kimbap can be cut into 12 slices or more.

This dish is considered very popular and often appears in almost every meal in this country for all audiences, especially Korean students who also eat kimbap very often. Why is this dish so popular? There are probably two reasons: First is because the method is very simple and very fast; Second, the ingredients used in Kimbap are all healthy foods with balanced nutritional values. This dish includes a lot of vegetables. As a rule, vegetable foods must account for about 70% of the entire kimbap. Therefore, kimbap is very delicious and not boring. The rice used in kimbap is white rice mixed with a little salt and sesame oil, different from the rice for Makisushi, so the rice has a very attractive sesame scent.

When enjoying, diners can add a little fish sauce or chili sauce, soy sauce or their favorite spices… In Korea, people can make this dish to go on a weekend picnic with friends or have dinner. You can bring it to the office for lunch… It’s convenient and full of nutrition. Kimbap is considered a traditional dish of the beautiful country of Korea. The Korean saying “first is kimchi, second is kimbap” which is not wrong. If you have the opportunity to travel to Korea, don’t forget to enjoy delicious food, especially kimbap with authentic flavors here!