How to:

Kimbap or easily remembered as Korean Sushi is made from steamed white rice and other ingredients such as bulgogi, spinach, yellow pickled radish, eggs and more. It’s rolled in gim with the gim on the outside and served in small, bite-sized pieces.

Kimbap = gim (roasted fried seaweed) bap (rice).

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED FOR BASIC KIMBAP ROLLS
• Sheets of roasted seaweed

• Cooked [short grain or sushi] white rice

• Vegetables – most traditional kimbap includes some combination of carrots, pickled yellow radish, cucumber, and spinach, but you can use whatever you prefer!

• Protein – classic kimbap includes bulgogi or are made vegetarian with eggs, but I also love making Korean sushi rolls with cooked crab!

• Sesame seeds

• Tools: This recipe works best when you’ve got a bamboo rolling mat, disposable gloves, a wood cutting board (or other clean, strong surface), and a very sharp knife.

TIPS:
• How To Store: Sliced kimbap in an airtight container can be refrigerated for several hours without compromising the flavor and the texture. However, if you store these kimbap overnight, the rice will most likely go dry. If planning on eating it the next day, store kimbap unsliced and keep them well packaged in the fridge

• How To Seal Your Kimbap: Dip your finger in water and moisten the edge of the seaweed to seal the roll. Wrap the entire bamboo mat around the roll and give it a firm but gentle squeeze. Using your hands or a pastry brush, lightly coat the outside of the roll with sesame oil to give it shine and prevent it from drying out. Set it aside.

• How To Revive Your Kimbap: The only way to revive a day's old gimbap is to dip the cut gimbap into beaten egg and pan-fry them – a trick I learned from Chef Julie Yoon. The egg acts as a sealant which helped steamed the rice during the pan-frying, making the rice soft again

• Season the rice.

• Organize your workspace. Arrange your ingredients and tools so that everything will be close at hand when needed. Place the bamboo rolling mat on a flat surface with the long side nearest you (the bamboo sticks should be horizontal). Lay out the seaweed sheets, a plate or tray with fillings, and a small bowl of warm water. Also designate a place to put your finished rolls.