''Ssamjang'' ( ko, 쌈장) is a thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

. The sauce is made of fermented soy beans (''

doenjang ''Doenjang'' * (; "thick sauce") or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine. It is also a byproduct of soup soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a relish. History The earliest soybean fe ...

''), red chili paste (''

gochujang ''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...

''), sesame oil,

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

, green onions, and optionally brown sugar.

Use

''Ssamjang'' is usually eaten with a '' ssam'' of grilled meat. One typically puts a leaf of

lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of foo ...

perilla ''Perilla'' is a genus consisting of one major Asiatic crop species ''Perilla frutescens'' and a few wild species in nature belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus encompasses several distinct varieties of Asian herb, seed, and veget ...

on an open hand, places the main components of the meal (grilled meat such as ''

galbi ''Galbi'' * (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of '' gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is ...

'' or ''

samgyeopsal ''Samgyeopsal'' (; ), ''samgyeopsal-gui'' ( ), or grilled pork belly is a type of '' gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. Etymology Directly translated from Korean, ''samgyeop-sal'' () means "three layer flesh," referring to striations o ...

'',

kimchi ''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...

and other ''

banchan ''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish ...

'', rice if desired) in bite-size pieces in the center, tops it off with ''ssamjang'', wraps the leaf around the entire contents, and then eats the wrapped ''ssam''. It is also served as a dip with peppers.

Etymology

Ssam ' (), meaning "wrapped", refers to a dish in Korean cuisine in which, usually, leafy vegetables are used to wrap a piece of meat such as pork or other filling.

'' means "wrapped" and ''jang'' means "paste" or "thick sauce". Together as ssamjang they mean "wrapping sauce".

Variations

Besides the standard way of making ''ssamjang'', other ingredients can be added to make special versions. There are also commercially prepacked ''ssamjang'' available on the market. *Nut ssamjang (견과류 쌈장): ground walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and other nuts are added *'' Jjukumi'' ssamjang (쭈꾸미 쌈장): diced short-arm octopus is stir-fried with diced red peppers and onions, and mixed together with ''ssamjang'' *

Tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super fi ...

ssamjang (두부 쌈장): crushed tofu is added *

Flying fish The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird ...

roe ssamjang (날치알 쌈장) : flying fish roe is added *''

Namul Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...

'' ssamjang (나물 쌈장): various beans are diced and added *River snail ssamjang (우렁이 쌈장): Boil the water with ''

'', river snail, green onion, garlic, and red pepper powder.

References

{{portal bar, Food Fermented foods Korean condiments Food paste

Use

Etymology

Variations

See also

References