How Korea’s kimbap became a global sensation

Alex Prewitt

Early into the first episode of “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” even before the main character sets foot in a courtroom or law office, actor Park Eun-bin’s first lines in the hit Korean television show are spent making the case for kimbap.

In the scene, the titular Woo Young-woo sits down at her father’s cafe and explains that she eats the same single item for breakfast every day. On cue, a colorful platter is placed before her: thin strips of ham, egg, carrot, spinach, braised burdock, pickled radish, imitation crab and fish cake - all rolled up in a thin blanket of rice and dried seaweed and cut into circular slices.

“Kimbap is reliable,” Woo says, inspecting the mosaic cross sections with her chopsticks. “I can see all the ingredients, so I will not be alarmed by unexpected texture or flavour.”

Debuting on Netflix in July 2022, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” went on to top the platform’s list of most-watched non-English shows for seven straight weeks, yet another example of South Korean-produced programming catching fire with international audiences. But it sparked a rare turn in the spotlight for kimbap, too - in addition to the quintessentially classic version that Woo enjoys, the show also featured a spin-off of kimbap where the fillings are folded into a square instead of rolled - as the humble picnic table staple rocketed to mainstream relevance.

“The globalization of kimbap is quite impressive,” says Robert Ku, an associate professor of Asian and Asian American studies at Binghamton University who has written extensively about Korean food history. “And I’d attribute ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ as being a real catalyst for that spread.”

There is no question that more people than ever are craving kimbap. When Trader Joe’s introduced a frozen vegetable kimbap in the United States in early August 2023, its nearly 600 stores nationwide reportedly sold out within weeks. Costco released its own version last April, entering a bustling worldwide market for prepackaged kimbap that the Korea Economic Daily recently characterized as a “new K-food battlefield.” And that is without mentioning countless shops and stalls that serve fresh rolls to customers, such as Kimbap Spot in Bochum, Germany; Kimbap Heaven in Perth, Australia; and the simply named Kimbap here in Durban.

“Kimbap is one of those things where it’s like everybody’s best buddy, because it’s never offensive,” says Hooni Kim, a New York City-based Korean American chef whose Little Banchan Shop sells classic kimbap with either beef, spicy pork or fried bean curd.

Kimbap can be many things. To Kim, it is a close friend; to Woo, a predictable meal; to Ku, a reflection of how Korean culture is increasingly “broadcast around the world.”

But the dish can also be a point of controversy: Some link the origins of modern kimbap to the early-20th-century period of Japanese occupation. “Others even go back thousands of years and argue that maki sushi, or sushi in general, was a Korean invention,” Ku says. “That the Japanese somehow got a hold of, and returned maki sushi, or kimbap, back to Korea.”

On a literal level, kim, or gim, means dried seaweed, and bap means rice - the two non negotiable elements of kimbap. Unlike in sushi, rice for kimbap is seasoned with sesame oil and salt, not vinegar, salt and sugar. 

Figuratively, kimbap is a blank culinary canvas. Traditional fillings are rarely raw and almost always seasoned, also unlike in sushi, including pan-seared proteins, blanched vegetables and the all-but-essential pickled radish for crunchy acidity. But the possibilities are endless. Some are prohibitively pricey: One Bay Area restaurant, Kunjip Tofu, offers a $55 roll stuffed with lobster, wagyu, abalone and housemade tofu.

Above all, according to Eunjo Park, a private chef in New York, kimbap is a portal to the past. “It’s a very nostalgic, comforting food,” says Park, whose Instagram account showcases such inventive combinations as bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado; smoked salmon and cream cheese; and an entire salted, deboned, pickled mackerel with its head and tail poking out of the ends of the roll. “It’s the definition of mother’s love.”

My own mother would agree. Her family moved from Seoul to the United States in 1963, a month before her 6th birthday, taking up residence in Queens at a time when few fellow Koreans populated the five boroughs. But every time a group of them got together, notably at the annual summer picnic of the Korean American Association of Greater New York, my grandmother always gave my mom and her siblings a taste of home, rising before the sun to rinse the rice and blanch the spinach and sauté the carrots for dozens of rolls to be shared between games of volleyball at the park.

In late November, I whipped up five classically filled rolls for a Friendsgiving: four featuring Spam and fish cake, and one with just veggies. I arranged the slices on a tray, wrote down the ingredients on a place card along with the name of the dish in both Korean and English, and put out the kimbap on a communal table, wholly proud of my effort. And, indeed, it wasn’t long before another guest took notice.

“Oh, wow,” they exclaimed. “Someone brought sushi!”

Kimbap with soy marinated beef

Kimbap, the traditional Korean rice and seaweed is the ultimate shareable snack, especially handy on hikes, at picnics, during road trips or whenever you need something bite-size yet filling. Of course, you can make a whole meal out of kimbap, too. This version, adapted from cookbook author and YouTube star Maangchi, features thin strips of beef in a quick soy-sugar marinade alongside a classic supporting cast of savory ingredients: carrot, spinach, egg and yellow pickled radish. The beauty of kimbap, though, is its adaptability. As long as you have the rice and seaweed, fill the rolls with whatever meat or vegetables you like. (Avoid anything too wet or runny to prevent the rolls from falling apart.) To save time, get the rice going first and prep the other ingredients while it cooks.

Servings: 6 (makes 6 rolls)

Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes.

Ingrdients

8 ounces thinly sliced beef, such as ribeye steak or round roast

6 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided

4 teaspoons light brown or granulated sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups just-cooked hot short-grain white rice, such as Japanese sushi rice (from about 1 2/3 cups uncooked)

3/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more as needed

250g regular or baby spinach

6 to 12 strips danmuji (yellow pickled radish), cut into 8-inch long strips

Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

2 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into matchsticks (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 large eggs

6 sheets gim or nori (roasted seaweed paper)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the beef, 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, the sugar, soy sauce, one-third of the garlic and the black pepper until the meat is evenly coated. Let marinate while you prep the other ingredients.

In another large bowl, use a rice scoop or wooden spoon to gently stir together the rice, 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt until combined. Let cool until the mixture is no longer steaming but is still hot, then cover and set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach, pushing it down to submerge and blanch until bright green, about 30 seconds for baby spinach and 1 minute for regular. Drain, then rinse under cold running water until cool. Using your hands, wring the spinach out well. If you use regular spinach, coarsely chop it.

In a small bowl, mix together the spinach, the remaining two-thirds of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Transfer the mixture to a large platter or sheet pan, along with the pickled radish, keeping the individual ingredients separate.

In a large (10- to 12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat a few drops of the neutral oil until shimmering. Add the carrots and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring once or twice, until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the carrots to the platter with the vegetables. Wipe out the skillet. (You’ll use it for the eggs and steak.)

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with a pinch of salt. Return the skillet to medium heat. Drizzle a bit of oil into the skillet and wipe out the excess so only a thin sheen remains. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, tilting it so it spreads in a thin layer and fills the pan. Cook until set on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until set on the other side, about 1 minute. (Try to avoid letting the eggs brown.) Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 1-1.5cm wide strips and add to the platter. Wipe out the skillet.

Have ready another plate or platter near your workspace. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to the prepared plate.

On a clean work surface (or bamboo mat, if you have one), place a sheet of gim with the shiny side down and a short side facing you. Have ready a small bowl of water nearby. Working with one piece of gim at a time, evenly spread about 2/3 cup of the rice over the seaweed, leaving about a 2-inch border on the short side farther from you. (If the rice is sticking to your fingers, lightly moisten them with water as you work.) Arranging each ingredient in a thin horizontal layer across the width of the rice (it’s okay if they’re stacked or slightly overlapped,) place a few strips each of the beef and egg, about 1/4 cup of carrot, 1 to 2 pickled radish strips, to taste, and 1 to 2 tablespoons spinach in rows across the rice, leaving a border of 1.5 to 3cm of uncovered rice on both of the short sides.

Starting with the side closest to you, use both hands to fold the gim over the filling until it reaches the top edge of the rice; the goal is to have a full layer of rice surrounding all the filling. Press tightly, brush the exposed gim with water to help seal, if desired, then finish rolling into a compact cylinder and arrange seam side down.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients to form 5 more rolls. Slice each roll into 1.25cm thick pieces and serve.