Kkomak Bibimbap

About the dish

Bibimbap, whose name simply means 'rice mixed together,' is often crowned the queen of traditional Korean food. May brims with life, like a young person spreading wings toward the world, its clear sunlight meeting the endless blue of the sea. And if May is the queen of seasons, bibimbap is her match at the table — white rice like a woman's white underskirt, layered as if in a many-colored saekdong skirt with yak-gochujang, mung-bean jelly, fernbrake, beef, shiitake, squash and gold-and-white egg ribbons.

Key ingredient

Cockles (kkomak) — evenly rich in nutrients that help growing children thrive; taurine clears hangovers and helps regenerate liver cells to support the liver. In season in November, mainly from the southwest coast.

Ingredients

Main: rice, cockle meat, musaengchae (seasoned radish strips), carrot, crushed gim · Seasoning: gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil

Simple recipe

1. Boil the cockles, shuck the meat and season it.
2. Arrange the vegetables and crushed gim over the rice.
3. Pile the seasoned cockle meat generously on top.
4. Add sesame oil and the sauce.
5. Mix well and serve.

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A Glass · Traditional pairing