I lived in South Korea for several years and grew to love the country and the people there. Korean food is distinct from all other foods I have sampled in its dependence on vegetables that grow on or directly beneath the ground. It is rough-hewn, simple and aromatic. Kimchee, the fermented cabbage is a staple at nearly every meal. I will admit that I was never brave enough to sample more than a tiny percentage of the Korean culinary landscape, but one dish I dearly love to this day is bibimbop. Bibimbop literally means “mixed rice”. It consists of rice, thinly sliced beef, spinach, soybean sprouts, mushrooms and is often topped with an egg. It arrives at your table in a sizzling clay pot in which you mix the parts together with a dollop of gochujang; spicy soybean paste. The mixing of the food in the hot pot cooks the egg, a requirement for me because, guck. I know my description doesn’t sound very yummy, but next time you go to a Korean place, try the bibimbop and amaze your friends!
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