''Heotjesatbap'' (, also spelled ''heotjesabap''), a traditional Korean dish, is a variety of ''

bibimbap Bibimbap * ( , from Korean , literally "mixed rice"), sometimes romanized as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. The term "bibim" means "mixing" and " bap" refers to cooked rice. ''Bibimbap'' is served as a bowl of warm white ri ...

'', served with

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or '' As ...

(''ganjang'') instead of the ''

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, ''yeotgir ...

'' (hot pepper paste) that is more commonly used. ''Heotjesabap'' consists of mainly several types of '' namul'' (young sprouted vegetables) over white rice. It is also served with grilled fish and some '' jeon'' (Korean pancake). The term ''Heotjesa bap'' literally means "mock

jesa Jesa (, ) is a ceremony commonly practiced in the East Asian cultural sphere. Jesa functions as a memorial to the ancestors of the participants. Jesa are usually held on the anniversary of the ancestor's death. The majority of Catholics, Buddh ...

meal", with jesa being Korean death anniversary ceremonies, during which the living relatives of the deceased prepare and offer a variety of dishes to the spirits of their departed ancestors and relatives. In most modern jesa, the feast is offered to the ancestors through a ceremony involving different family members placing dishes of food on the table and pouring

rice wine Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermented and distilled from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch that has been converted to sugars. Microbes are the s ...

into cups, as gracious hosts would do for their guests. After the food and drink is set out in a specific order, the family members leave the room to give the spirits time to enjoy it. After a few minutes, the eldest male relative clears his throat to signal to the spirits that they are going to come back in, and the family then takes the food into a separate room and all eat and drink the offerings together, connecting them with the deceased after having paid them respect. The dish originated in

Andong Andong () is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a ...

Gyeongsangbuk-do North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...

, a famous place where scholars, called seonbi, lived and studied during the

Joseon Dynasty 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 r ...

. It is said that as there was insufficient foods during the period, some seonbi scholars of the yangban class living in the region prepared ceremonial foods for fake ''jesa'' and enjoyed the dishes as well as commoners did. These dishes were considered "fake" because they were consumed rather than used in a jesa ceremony, which during the time would be covered with incense ash and rendered inedible. It was commonly eaten as a late-night snack by studying scholars.

See also

References

External links