Gukbap (Korean: 국밥; lit. soup rice) is a Korean dish made by putting cooked rice into hot soup or boiling rice in soup.[1][2] It is commonly served in a ttukbaegi. Whereas soup and rice is generally eaten separately in Korea, in gukbap, rice is expected to be mixed into the soup.
A jumak (tavern for merchants that served food and alcohol)Gim Hong-do's "Jumak" painting depicting gukbap being served
The first record of gukbap in literature is in the "Journal of Royal Secretariat" (Seungjeongwon Ilgi). The journal stated that female physicians recommended the dish to King Sukjong due to its heartiness.[5] During the Joseon Dynasty, gukbaps were served in jumaks, a tavern for merchants that served alcohol. As jumaks began to develop on roadside areas, gukbap was given the name "janggukbap": gukbap sold in jangsi (markets). Illustrations of gukbap being served in jumaks can be seen in Gim Hong-Do's paintings from the Joseon Dynasty. In the art piece, a barmaid is serving the dish while a customer opens a pouch to pay for his meal.[5]
Rituals through ancestral rites were common in the Joseon Dynasty. At these rites, meat dishes from pigs and cattle were regularly present.[5] Due to the frequency of these rituals, a meat-eating culture developed and meat based soups, like gukbap, became popular. The first gukbap recipe in Korean literature is the Gyugon Yoram from the 18th century. This recipe states that it is made by "placing oily meat stewed in a sauce over the rice".[5] The broth is made by boiling down pork bones to create a cloudy, translucent, or clear appearance. Those of the western part of the South Gyeongsang Province developed a leaner clear broth.[6]
During the 19th century, the dish became commercialized and was sold in large-scale markets. In the Japanese colonial period, gukbap began to gain popularity as a common delivery food. According to a magazine published in 1929, the owners of gukbap diners were often people of low social status, so it was not easy for those who were once aristocrats to eat it with confidence. Digging into this niche market, gukbap has been recognized as the first fast food as well as the first delivery food. After Korea's liberation from Japan and the Korean War, variations of the dish began to emerge by region. Then, ever more places sold simple meals for workers, resulting in a variety of gukbap by region.[7] As a result, Gukbap is known as the first fast food in Korea because of its affordability.
Until the 1970s, when there were no refrigerators and heating cabinets, once the rice was cooked, it was spread flat on a wicker tray and stored in a cool place. When an order was placed, the rice was put in a bowl, and the broth was poured in and out several times to make it warm. Until then, pouring hot broth over the rice was common, and since the broth was absorbed into the grain of the rice, its taste improved. With the introduction of the heating cabinet, ttarogukbap(rice and soup served separately) emerged.[8] Technological advances caused the preparation of gukbap to vary over time.
Dwaeji gukbap (돼지국밥) – pork and rice soup.[9] It is a Gukbap that brews pig bone in meat broth, and people eat it together with boiled pork slices. The Dwaeji-gukbap's history started during the Korean War. Refugees made a seolleongtang using pig bone which was easy to obtain. That was the beginning of dwaeji gukbap.[10]
Someori-gukbap (소머리국밥) – Someori-gukbap is made putting Ox head in an iron pot, and boiling meat broth for a long time.[12]
Korean blood sausage that is used as the meat product in sundae-gukbapSundae-gukbap (순대국밥) – sundae (Korean sausage) and rice soup.[13]
Kongnamul-gukbapKongnamul-gukbap (콩나물국밥) – kongnamul (soybean sprouts) and rice soup.[14] Kongnamul-gukbap is a food that adds kongnamul, garlic, and salt in an iron pot. In Jeonju, Kongnamul-gukbap became famous because water is very important in Kongnamul-gukbap, and Jeonju is famous for its clean water.[15]
