When people think of Korean dishes, often the first ones that come to mind are 불고기 (bulgogi), 떡볶이 (tteokbokki), 갈비 (galbi), and of course the well known 김치 (kimchi). However, there are many traditional dishes that most people outside of Korea won’t know. Some of these are 떡국 (tteok-guk) which is a soup with rice cakes. This dish is often served during the Korean New Year since it symbolizes rebirth or a new beginning. Another is 미역국 (miyeok-guk) which is essentially seaweed soup. Traditionally the soup is served with beef or dried fish, which was an extremely rare and expensive food item back in the day. And because of this, it was only served during one’s actual birthday for the mother, as it helped with the recovery process after giving birth. But now it’s consumed all the time.
One dish that is a bit more popular is 부대찌개. When romanized it turns into budae-jjigae which doesn’t really show much value. But the English translation is Army Base Stew. The stew is very simple, and can be created with a variety of ingredients, but what usually goes in nowadays is:
- Spam (the ham thing)
- Tofu
- Kimchi
- Instant ramen noodles
- Cheese (althought I believe this is very controversial)
As you can see it’s mixed with a variety of things that someone would usually not mix in a stew (especially the cheese). But there’s actually a reason behind all this. Currently, it’s a beloved Korean dish that is might as well be eaten at least once a month by every Korean in Korea. In reality though, it actually has a very rich but sad history behind the dish:
The dish finds its origins back to the Korean War (1950-1953). During and after this major conflict, the war left the entire peninsula of Korea in a state of devastation. Homes were destroyed, farms were burned, and food was scarce. Because of this, people had to do whatever they could and make do with whatever they found for food. This led to the emergence of 부대찌개. In this scarce environment, the Korean people started to combine all the leftover food that was left behind in US military bases that were set up all throughout the land with Korean basics such as kimchi. The name first half of the word (부대) literally means “military” or “army base”, which reflects the origins of the dish.
The dish, although made with leftovers, was a symbol of hope and comfort to the Korean war survivors and was a staple from that point onwards. Eventually, it reached a point in time where 부대찌개 has become a dish that everyone can now enjoy. 부대찌개 is not only a reminder of what something as basic as food can do to lift the spirits of the people in trying times, but the resilience of the Korean people. It remains a beloved comfort food, and variations of the dish can be found in Korean restaurants around the world, celebrating its rich history and the ingenuity of the people who created it during a time of need.
Comments
I would also recommend 부대찌개 for people who never tried Korean food before. It is easy to make with ingredients you like, has a historical background about the Korean War, and is very delicious. I appreciate sharing a great Korean food that represents Korean culture and history.