''Kongnamul-bulgogi'' ( ko, 콩나물불고기, literally "

soybean sprout Soybean sprout is a culinary vegetable grown by sprouting soybeans. It can be grown by placing and watering the sprouted soybeans in the shade until the roots grow long. Soybean sprouts are extensively cultivated and consumed in Asian countries. ...

bulgogi ''Bulgogi'' (불고기; ; from Korean language, Korean ''bul-gogi'' ), literally "fire meat", is a ''Gui (food), gui'' (구이; Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marination, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, gri ...

"), sometimes abbreviated as ''kongbul'' ( ko, 콩불; kong for kongnamul and bul for bulgogi), is a modern Korean dish. It is a combination of ''

'',

bean sprouts Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth. In the field of nutrition, the term signifies ...

rice cake A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten and are particularly preval ...

, vegetables, noodles, sausages, and spicy sauce. The ingredients are roasted in a large pan. The dish has become increasingly popular in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, especially among teenagers, due to its low price and appealing flavour.

History

''Kongnamul-bulgogi'' restaurants thrived in

Jeonju Jeonju () is the 16th largest city in South Korea and the capital of North Jeolla Province. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju (Wanju County has many residents who work in Jeonju) ...

during the 1980s. The dish enjoyed a resurgence with the success of the Kongbul restaurant franchise, which opened in 2008.

Preparation

Pork, bean sprouts, onions, red peppers, scallions, and perilla leaves are needed as the main ingredients. Additionally, in order to make the sauce,

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'' ...

(고추장, red pepper paste), Korean plum extract from

Prunus mume ''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...

(매실액),

oyster sauce Oyster sauce describes a number of sauces made by cooking oysters. The most common in modern use is a viscous dark brown condiment made from oyster extracts,The Times, 22 January 1981; ''Cook Accidentally on purpose'' sugar, salt and water thick ...

, and crushed garlic (다진마늘) are commonly used. A mixture of the sauce, bean sprouts, and cooked pork completes the dish.

Variations

The original ''Kongbul'' is a combination of the sauce, bean sprouts, and pork. However, there are several variations to this recipe. For example, squid or chicken can be added, and the spicy sauce can be replaced by a sweet one. Additionally, rice cakes, boiled eggs, noodles, dumplings, ham, and cheese are options for any type of ''Kongbul''.

References

{{Reflist Meat dishes Vegetable dishes Korean cuisine

History

Preparation

Variations

See also

References