Dolsot Bibimbap

	dolsot bibimbap – is an extremely popular Korean dish. Served in a large bowl with a layer of rice on the bottom, some fresh vegetables and possibly topped off with an egg or some sliced meat. All of this gets mixed together just before eating.

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Variations of Dolsot Bibimbap

dolsot bibimbap is a popular Korean dish which many individuals love to order when they go to eat at a Korean restaurant. It is flavorful and bountiful enough to be a meal in and of itself. Although the traditional type of dolsot bibimbap consists of the usual ingredients such as marinated beef, kimchi, rice, egg and an assortment of vegetables, there are variations of this delicious dish which many opt for when they need a change.

One variant of the dolsot bibimbap is to add fish instead of the usual beef ingredient. Salmon is one type of fish which makes for a unique and tasty combination. Chicken is another popular meat substitution for the prepared dolsot bibimbap as some individuals do not eat red meat and would prefer to have the chicken comprise the main part of the dish instead of the marinated beef. Vegetarians may also be able to eat dolsot bibimbap as tofu has been known to be included with this dish so that all may enjoy this traditional Korean entrée.

In addition to switching up the type of meat which is part of the dish, dolsot bibimbap lovers can also make variations of this item by adding and/or leaving out different types of vegetables. Some of the more commonly added vegetables to this dish include kimchi, cucumber, zucchini and mushrooms. However, this is just an example of the more commonly cooked type of dolsot bibimbap. Those who prepare this dish may add and delete different vegetables as they see fit.

Lastly, the heat factor of the dolsot bibimbap may vary as well. The one ingredient used in this dish which gives it a little kick in the area of heat is gochujang, or chili pepper paste. Those who like their bibimbap a little hotter may choose to increase the amount of gochujang to their liking. These are just some of the many different variations one can choose in order to make their dolsot bibimbap appeal to their tastes.

Why Dolsot Bibimbap Is Such a Popular Dish

There are many Korean dishes which strike the fancy of individuals interested in this type of cuisine.  However, one of the more popular ones which is frequently ordered at korean restaurants is dolsot bibimbap.  Dolsot bibimbap is a combination of marinated beef, rice, kimchi, egg, gochujang and an assortment of vegetables.  These ingredients are placed in a heated bowl, known as the dolsot, and served to the customer.  This dish is such an all-encompassing one that few need accompanying menu items alongside of their dolsot bibimbap.  There are a few reasons why dolsot bibimbap is such a popular dish.

First, the dish itself is one which comprises the entire meal.  With dolsot bibimbap, you have your protein and vegetables all combined into one dish which makes it an easy meal to order or to make.  Many individuals like the idea of having one meal which covers all bases.  It is usually such a good amount of food that one leaves the table feeling full and satisfied.

Another reason why dolsot bibimbap is such a popular entrée is that it is quite healthy in nature.  The vegetables provide one with the nutrition they need for the day while the meat component provides one with adequate protein.  Since many individuals these days are interested in promoting a healthy lifestyle, being able to eat out and enjoy a healthy meal is an important concept and another reason why individuals like to eat dolsot bibimbap.

Dolsot bibimbap is also traditional with a modern flair to it.  This Korean dish has been served for over 100 years but has become more popular as the years progressed.  It takes a traditional idea, such as serving the bibimbap in a dolsot, but consists of modern ingredients which diners are interested in eating.

Lastly, dolsot bibimbap is quite easy to make.  All one needs in order to enjoy this dish are some dolsots, meat, rice, eggs, gochujang and a variety of vegetables.  Most of these items are present within one’s kitchen which makes throwing together a delicious meal an easy feat to accomplish.

How to Cook Dolsot Bibimbap Recipe Video

This is a great winter dish thats easy to make using a dolsot (stone bowl). The dolsot will make the rice crispy and chewy.

The Koreans Favorite Part: Nooroongji

It is without a doubt that the dolsot bibimbap is a popular Korean food both on the domestic and international level. Surprisingly though, it seems that what the Koreans enjoy about the dolsot bibimbap slightly differs from what everyone else enjoys about it.

As if the saying “the best for the last” is really true. The part that the Koreans enjoy the most is at the very bottom of the sizzling hot dish. It is pronounced as “nooroongji” in Korean.

A nooroongji is basically rice that has become hard due a long exposure to the extremely hot surfaces of the dolsot. Therefore, only the rice that is in direct contact with hot dish can “turn in” to what is known by Koreans as nooroongji. Some people might think, “Okay, what’s so good about a hardened rice?” There are a few reasons why the Koreans like it so much.

The first is, as it should be with dishes, the taste. The nooroongji has quite a different taste than the rest of the rice in the dolsot bibimbap. Because it has been hardened, the rice is quite crunchy, making the chewing more enjoyable along with the taste. Also, as nooroongjis are first steamed between the rest of the rice above it and the hot dish beneath it, a lot of the “juice” of dolsot bibimbap soaks inside the rice. Consequently, when the rice becomes dry and hard again (now called a nooroongji), it now has the taste of dolsot bibimbap inside the rice. So, when you chew on the nooroongji you can taste the scent of the whole bibimbap in a unique way.

Part of scraping the nooroongjis is fun too. As nooroongjis are first steamed and then hardened, they tend to stick onto the dolsot. Therefore, it is quite hard to scrap the nooroongjis. Koreans use spoons to scrap the nooroongjis, which often the children enjoy doing (although they’re not that good at it!).

The dolsot bibimbap is certainly a delicious dish. While many people are aware of its overall taste and look, it has a lot of unique parts to it which unfortunately many outsiders are not aware of. Nooroongji is one of them: popular among Koreans, but unfortunately not that widely known. Next time you get yourself a dolsot bibimbap, don’t forget to try the nooroongji’s before the waitress takes the dish away! You certainly will enjoy it!

Korean Dolsot Bibimbap: Tastier than the Sum of its Parts

If you’ve never tried dolsot bibimbap, you’ve been missing out on one of the tastiest dishes in Korean cuisine.  Heck… in any cuisine.  While it sounds pretty simple on paper (as you’ll see as you read on), in reality the combination of ingredients used to make this dish makes for something surprising, wonderful… and remarkably healthy.

So, what sets dolsot bibimbap apart from plain old Korean bibimbap?  Simply put, it’s the temperature. Regular bibimbap consists of warm or cold rice served up in a bowl and covered with assorted seasoned veggies (called namul), meat, a fried egg, and a wonderful chili sauce (called gochujang).  Dolsot bibimbap is just… well… hotter. Doesn’t sound like it would make a big difference, right?

But it does. Simply serving a bibimbap in a hot bowl (this is called a dolsot –hence the name) takes an already-wonderful Korean dish to a mind-boggling level of deliciousness.  The dolsot is heated approximately to the level of the molten lava, and the inside is covered with sesame or olive oil before the warmed rice is added.  The rice touching the bowl gets crisp and fried and, well… indescribably delicious.  This almost-burnt rice is called nurungi, and is so wonderful that they actually sell it on its own as a snack in Korean grocery stores.

Eating a Korean Dolsot Bibimbap

When you make a dolsot bibimbap (or order one at your favorite Korean restaurant), it comes out sizzling, smelling wonderful, and very pretty.  But it won’t stay pretty for long– because you’ve got to add plenty of gochujang chili sauce and mix it all up into a tasty homogenized mess before eating.  A raw egg is generally floating up on top of the rest of the ingredients, bright and gooey and a little strange-looking.  But don’t worry– the bazillion degree heat of the dolsot will cook the egg as you mix, making it creamy and delicious.

What’s in Your Dolsot Bibimbap?

While all dolsot bibimbaps are similar in concept, the ingredients can vary widely.  Like regular Korean bibimbap, this dish was originally considered a good way to use up leftover rice and vegetables.  So while you’re probably not using leftovers at home (or eating them in a Korean restaurant), almost any ingredient can be tossed into your dolsot bibimbap.  And it’ll all taste good– that much I can promise you.

Though you can toss just about anything into your bibimbap, some of the most popular Korean ingredients you’ll find in them are:

* Rice or a multi-grain rice mixture.
* Sesame or olive oil.
* Assorted raw, blanched, or cooked and seasoned veggies.  These include carrots, squash, soybean sprouts, red cabbage, mushrooms (generally shitaki), burdock root, fern stems (called gosari), and others.
* Fried ginkgo nuts.
* Meat (generally beef), or Korean bulgogi, a meat mix made with wine, garlic, onion, and pineapple, among other things — so delicious!
* Egg (generally raw, though it can be fried first).
* Toasted sesame seeds.
* Gochujang sauce (sometimes spelled Kochujang).  This sauce is both sweet and spicy, but generally not too spicy.  Use it generously.

You’ll find a wide combination of these and more ingredients in a dolsot bibimbap.  And even if the idea of eating that many vegetables doesn’t excite your inner glutton… don’t listen to him.  All veggies or no, dolsot bibimbap is a Korean delicacy you won’t want to miss out on.