Ssambap, or rice wrapped in various greens, dates back to long ago as recorded in documents in Yuan Dynasty of China. According to the records, women from Goryeo Kingdom who were taken to Yuan Dynasty and were forced to serve as court ladies used to enjoy having Goryeo-ssam, or rice wrapped in vegetables. The bite-sized ssambap comes in a wide variety and can be developed with local ingredients.

Main Ingredients :
(Serves 4)
Cooked rice for 4 (seasonings: 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp salt)
Ssam ingredients: 1 30x30 cm kelp, 2 big cabbage leaves, 10 pumpkin leaves, 5 kimchi leaves, 1/2 15 cm carrot, 1 cucumber, 6 stems water parsley, 6 cherry tomatoes

Spices :
Ssamjang spices: 3 tbsp soy bean paste, 1 tbsp chili paste, 1 teaspoon red pepper powder, 1 tbsp oligosaccharide, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp onion juice, 1 tbsp chopped red pepper, 1 tbsp chopped green pepper, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, chopped nuts (2 walnuts, 1 tbsp pine nuts, 1 tbsp peanuts, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds)



☑ Flavoring cooked rice with sesame oil and salt will enhance the flavor of the ssambap. At the same time, they also remove the unpleasant smell from the ssam ingredients.
☑ Soy sauce or fish sauce can be used instead to make ssamjang if it’s difficult to get hold of the ssamjang spices. You can give the traditional sauce a twist with various local sauces available in your country.
☑ Remember to completely remove the salt from the kelp by dipping in cold water.
☑ Blanching cabbage and pumpkin leaves will better preserve the green color and the crunchiness than the steaming method.


Kim Su-jin: Hansik Researcher

- Director of Association for Research on Taste of Korea
- Head Director of Food & Culture Korea Academy
- Nation’s First Film Food Director
(Major works: “Ssanghwajeom”, “The Painter of Wind”, “King and the Clown”, “Best Chef”)