''Namul'' () refers to either a variety of edible greens or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (). On the day of

Daeboreum Daeboreum () is a Korean holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the new year of the lunar Korean calendar. This holiday is accompanied by many traditions. Origins The record about the origin of Daeboreum is recorded in the book ''Sam ...

, the first full moon of the

year A year is a unit of time based on how long it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun. In scientific use, the tropical year (approximately 365 Synodic day, solar days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds) and the sidereal year (about 20 minutes longer) ...

, Koreans eat ''boreum-namul'' () with five-grain rice. It is believed that ''boreum namuls'' eaten in winter help one to withstand the heat of the summer to come.

Preparation and serving

For ''namul'' as a dish, virtually any type of vegetable, herb, or green can be used, and the ingredient includes roots, leaves, stems, seeds, sprouts, petals, and fruits. Some seaweeds and mushrooms, and even animal products such as beef

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tensi ...

s are also made into ''namuls''. Although in most cases the vegetables (and non-vegetable ''namul'' ingredients) are blanched before being seasoned, the method of preparation can also vary; they may be served fresh (raw), boiled, fried, sautéed, fermented, dried, or steamed. ''Namul'' can be seasoned with salt, vinegar,

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...

and

perilla oil Perilla oil () is an edible vegetable oil derived from perilla seeds. Having a distinct nutty aroma and taste, the oil pressed from the toasted perilla seeds is used as a flavor enhancer, condiment, and cooking oil in Korean cuisine. The oil press ...

, regular

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

and

soup soy sauce Soup soy sauce or "''guk-ganjang''" () is a type of Korean soy sauce () made entirely of fermented soybeans (''meju'') and brine. It is also a byproduct of ''doenjang'' production. Both lighter in colour and saltier than other Korean varieties ...

, ''

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

'' (soybean paste), ''

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

'', and many other spices and condiments. ''Namul'' are typically served as ''

banchan ''Banchan'' ( ; ; ) are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. ''Banchan'' are often set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as ''galbi'' or ''bulg ...

'' (; a side dish accompanying staples such as

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

). It is possible to have more than one type of ''namul'' served as a ''banchan'' at a single meal. Each namul dish may be named depending on the main ingredients and the methods of preparation. For example, a seasoned '' chamnamul'' dish is most likely called ''chamnamul-muchim'' (), since the name of the vegetable already contains the word "namul" in it. A namul dish made of raw

radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...

is called ''musaengchae'' () since it is usually the ''namul'' dish made with cooked radish that is called ''munamul'' (radish ''namul'').

Varieties

Vegetables

Seaweeds

Mushrooms

Others

Gallery

File:Bangpung (Peucedanum japonicum).jpg, '' bangpung-namul'' File:Chamnamul muchim (Pimpinella brachycarpa).jpg, '' Chamnamul'' File:Korean cuisine-Namul-06.jpg, ''

Chwinamul ''Doellingeria scabra'' is a perennial herb of the family Asteraceae from Eurasia. It is frequently found in wild mountain regions of Korea, eastern Russia, China, and Japan. Distribution ''Doellingeria scabra'' is native to Eurasia. It is act ...

'' File:Korean cuisine-Namul-03.jpg, '' Goguma-

sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

-namul'' File:Gondre.jpg, '' Gondeure-namul'' File:Gosari.jpg, '' Gosari-namul'' File:Kongnamul muchim (soybean sprouts).jpg, '' Kongnamul'' File:Miyeokmuchim.jpg, ''

Miyeok Wakame ''(Undaria pinnatifida)'' is a species of kelp native to cold, temperate coasts of the northwest Pacific Ocean. As an edible seaweed, it has a subtly sweet, but distinctive and strong flavour and satiny texture. It is most often served in ...

-namul'' File:Paraemuchim (seasoned parae) (Monostroma nitidum).jpg, ''

Parae Green laver (), known as ''aonori'' (; ) in Japan, ''sea cabbage'' () or ''hutai'' () in China, and ''parae'' () and ''kim'' () in Korean, is a type of edible green seaweed, including species from the genera ''Monostroma'' and ''Ulva'' (''Ulva ...

-namul'' File:Korean cuisine-Pyogo namul-01.jpg, '' Pyogo-namul'' File:Sigeumchinamul (seasoned spinach side dish).jpg, '' Sigeumchi-namul'' File:Korean cuisine-Sukjunamul-01.jpg, '' Sukjunamul'' File:Sebalnamul (Spergularia marina).jpg, '' Sebalnamul'' File:Totmuchim (tot with tofu and doenjang).jpg, '' Tot-namul'' File:Ssukgat-namul.jpg, '' Ssukgat-namul'' File:Korean food-Bibim ssambap ingredient-01.jpg, Various namuls for

bibimbap Bibimbap * ( ; ), sometimes Romanization of Korean, romanised as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. The term ''bibim'' means "mixing" and ''Bap (rice dish), bap'' is cooked rice. It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped wi ...

File:Korea-Sokcho-Sanchae jeongsik-Namul-01.jpg, ''Sanchae''

table d'hôte In restaurant terminology, a ''table d'hôte'' (; ) menu is a menu where multi-Course (meal), course meals with only a few choices are charged at a fixed total price. Such a menu may be called ''prix fixe'' ( ; "fixed price"). The terms set meal ...

References

External links

{{Commons
Life in Korea: Korean seasoned vegetables
Korean cuisine