Jinju Bibimbap

About the dish

Bibimbap, literally 'mixed rice,' is celebrated as the queen of traditional Korean food. May overflows with life, like a young person spreading wings toward the world, its clear sunlight carrying the blue of an endless sea — and if May is the queen of seasons, bibimbap is her match. Over white rice like a woman's white underskirt, colorful ingredients — yak-gochujang, mung-bean jelly, fernbrake, beef, shiitake, squash and yellow-and-white egg ribbons — come together like a festive saekdong skirt.

Key ingredient

Rice (ssal) — Korea's staple grain and main energy source; easy to digest with B vitamins for a balanced meal. Autumn harvest, mainly from Icheon & Yeoju.

Ingredients

Cooked rice 840 g (4 bowls), snow crabs 2, cucumber 150 g (1), zucchini 120 g (1/3), carrot 120 g (about 1), doraji (bellflower root) 80 g (4 roots), egg 50 g (1), gim 2 g (1 sheet), salt 1 Tbsp, cooking oil 1 tsp, sesame oil 1/2 Tbsp, minced garlic 1 Tbsp, sesame salt 1 Tbsp, a little sugar

Simple recipe

1. Clean the snow crabs and steam about 10 minutes, placed shell-side down in the steamer.
2. Cut the zucchini and cucumber into 5 cm lengths, pare the flesh around in a sheet, julienne, salt and squeeze dry, then stir-fry in a pan.
3. Julienne the carrot (5 x 0.2 x 0.2 cm), blanch in salted boiling water, toss with salt and sesame oil, then stir-fry in a pan.
4. Cut the doraji into 5 cm lengths, tear into fine shreds, knead with salt to remove the bitterness, blanch, then dress with minced garlic, sesame salt, sesame oil and sugar and stir-fry in a pan.
5. Fry the egg into separate yellow and white sheets and cut into fine ribbons (5 x 0.2 x 0.2 cm).
6. Toast the gim lightly over a flame and crumble it.
7. Remove the steamed crabs' top shells, scoop out the innards and pick the meat from the leg joints.
8. Mound rice in bowls, arrange the vegetables from steps 2-4 and the crabmeat by color, and garnish with gim and egg ribbons.

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A Glass · Traditional pairing