A Global History of Food

What Is a Bibimbap?

Bibimbap is a traditional Korean food, and the first Bibimbap recipe found was in a anonymous cookbook.
The word “Bibim” means mixing many ingredients together, and the word “bap” means rice. As such, Bibimbap is a rice bowl that has sliced vegetables and meat on top of the steamed rice.

There are multiple versions about how Bibimbap was created:
1. Bibimbap is viewed as a normal dish in Korea. Korean people simply put all the leftover into a bowl and mix it with hot sauce.
2. Female’s status was very low in early Korea. Wives were not allowed to eat with their husbands and in-laws in the same table. As such, wives mixed up what was left over from the table, and this became their meals.
3. Many Korean Emperors were frugal and dislike fancy meals. Therefore, they ordered the kitchen to mix up all the ingredients into one bowl.
4. Bibimbap was a deluxe meal that gifted to a Chinese Emperor from Korea in Joseon period. Since the Chinese Emperor loved the Bibimbap, it got famous and became well-known.

Bibimbap is a very healthy dish because it gives a lot of nutrients to our bodies. Firstly, most Bibimbap contains carrots. Carrots are rich in Vitamin A, which helps us on keeping healthy eyes, skin, bones, and healthy digestive function. Secondly, the eggs in the dish provides rich Vitamin B2, B12, Vitamin E, and a decent amount of protein. Moreover, the nori in the bowl offers essential animo acids and vitamins A, B, C, and E. Last but not the least, the vegetable on top of the rice making this dish very balanced, helping us to maintain a healthy weight.