Ssam

' () are dishes in Korean cuisine where one food is wrapped in another. A common variety is meat such as pork wrapped in a leafy vegetable.쌈 (Ssam)
'' Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' It is often accompanied by the condiment and can also be topped with raw or cooked garlic, onion, green pepper, or a (small side dish) such as kimchi. is usually bite-sized to prevent spilling of the fillings.

History

During the Goryeo period (918–1392), the state's Buddhist practices highly discouraged killing and eating animals. This has led to the development numerous Korean vegetable dishes, especially ''ssam''. Yuan poet Yang Yunfu wrote about ''ssam'' during the Goryeo period in a poem. Yang wrote that Goryeo people ate rice by wrapping it with raw vegetables, and complimented the pleasant scent of Goryeo's lettuce.

The ancient Korean book of customs '' Tongguksesigi'' noted that women of Goryeo who were taken as servants by the Yuan dynasty made and ate ''ssam'' to have the taste of their home country's food and soothe homesickness. The same book also noted that ssam had become an established seasonal dish by the Joseon era, which was especially eaten as a festive dish during the day of '' Daeboreum''. The ''ssam'' eaten during Daeboreum was believed to bring a good fortune and called (), which meant "fortune ''ssam''".

''Ssam'' was mentioned by the many texts in the Joseon era. One of them is '' Ŏu yadam'', a collection of stories written by the scholar Yu Mongin, who recounts wrapping a sardine in a leafy vegetable with rice and ssamjang. In ''Sasojŏl'' (), a Joseon etiquette book, said it is polite to scoop and roll a ball of rice first before wrapping it with a vegetable from atop while eating ''ssam''. He also told readers to wrap a ''ssam'' in a bitable size as it looked rude to puff one's cheeks while eating. Joseon scholar-official Chŏng Yagyong described eating ''ssam'' a poem, which consisted of ''gochujang'' (Korean chili paste) and the root of green onion in lettuce.

In modern days, ''ssam'' is slowly gaining popularity outside of Korea and is being served at restaurants in various locations such as New York City, Tokyo and Brisbane.

Variations

Various vegetables are used as ingredients such as lettuce, cabbage, bean leaves, and pumpkin leaves, which are used either raw or blanched. Seaweed such as () (sea mustard seaweed) and (dried laver) are also used. can be used to refer to dishes using beef tongue, roe, pork, clams, or sea cucumbers wrapped and cooked in eggs. Depending on one's taste, ssam can contain side dishes such as kimchi () and garlic, and sauce such as ''ssamjang'' (), ''doenjang'' (), red pepper paste (), and oil sauce. Sashimi and ''gwamegi'' () are also eaten with wraps.

By ingredients

* : with steamed pork, e.g. shoulder and is a popular dish throughout Korea.
* is a dish in which rice is included.

By wrap type

Specific types:
* (), wrapped with napa cabbage leaf
* (), wrapped with
* (), wrapped with thin fish filet
* (), wrapped with , seaweed
* (), walnuts wrapped with dried persimmon
* (), wrapped with pumpkin leaf
* (), wrapped with sliced and soaked dried abalone
* (), wrapped with kimchi
* (), wrapped with perilla leaf
* (), wrapped with a thin crepe made from wheat flour
* (), wrapped with sliced octopus
* (), wrapped with seasoned raw beef
* (), wrapped with lettuce

Gallery

File:Ssam 2.jpg, Making
File:Ssam vegetables and ssamjang.jpg, vegetables and
File:Korean cuisine-Ssam-01.jpg, Leaves used for wrapping in dishes
File:Gwangju-Bossam.jpg, dish from Gwangju
File:Korean cuisine-Ssam-05.jpg, , wrap with thin pancakes
File:Korean cuisine-Ssam-04.jpg, (), vegetables wrapped in roasted beef slices

See also

* Sandwich wrap
*
*Korean cuisine
* Korean taco

References

External links

{{Korean food and drink

Korean words and phrases
Korean cuisine
Meat dishes