''Sundubu-jjigae''
[
*] (, -豆腐--) is a ''
jjigae'' 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 dish is made with freshly curdled
soft tofu (dubu) which has not been strained and pressed, vegetables, sometimes
mushrooms,
onion, optional
seafood
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...
(commonly
oysters,
mussel
Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and Freshwater bivalve, freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other ...
s,
clams and
shrimp
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
), optional meat (commonly
beef or
pork), and ''
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'' ...
'' or ''
gochugaru''. The dish is assembled and cooked directly in the serving vessel, which is traditionally made of thick, robust porcelain, but can also be ground out of solid stone. A raw egg can be put in the ''jjigae'' just before serving, and the dish is delivered while bubbling vigorously. It is typically eaten with a bowl of cooked white rice and several ''
banchan''.
Extra soft tofu, called ''sundubu'' (; "mild tofu") in
Korean, is softer than other types of tofu and is usually sold in tubes. The ''sun'' in ''sundubu'' means "pure" in Korean.
History
The origins of using
unpressed tofu in Korean cuisine is not well documented, but records from the
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
dynasty archives show an early form of sundubu jjigae being served. Some historians assume that unpressed tofu use spread to the masses during the Joseon dynasty.
Overseas
Following the
Korean War, some American military servicemen who returned from South Korea brought home jjigae (especially dubu jjigae) recipes. In 1986, Monica Lee opened Beverly Soon Tofu in the
Koreatown neighborhood of
Los Angeles, and it was the first restaurant in the United States to specialize in sundubu jjigae. By the 1990s, sundubu jjigae restaurants were more popular throughout the United States.
The dish became even more widely known when
Hee Sook Lee, a first-generation Korean immigrant, opened her sundubu restaurant, BCD Tofu, in
Vermont Avenue,
Koreatown, and expanded it into a national chain. The chain was named after the “Bukchang Dong” district in Korea where Lee's mother-in-law owned a restaurant. In Canada, several BCD and other similar restaurants have been open in Toronto since 2001,
and can also be found in other cities across the country. The North American version of the dish was eventually introduced back to
South Korea due to its popularity.
See also
*
Jjigae
*
List of soups
*
List of tofu dishes
*
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 ...
References
External links
Recipe for Soondubu jjigae
{{Soy, state=collapsed
Korean soups and stews
Tofu dishes
Seafood dishes
