Kimbap (Korean Seaweed Rice Roll)

Kimbap (or gimbap) is Korean seaweed roll made with rice, vegetables and seaweed. Kimbap is an all-time favorite Korean picnic food. Some people calls Korean kimbap as Korean sushi, but they are not the same. Here are step-by-step instructions to make home preparation easy.

When I go to Korean stores, I often pick up a package of store-made kimbap, Korean seaweed rice roll, to eat in the car driving back home.

Then, I usually regret it because it is not nearly as good as homemade kimbap, especially the kind my mother used to make. So, here I share my mother’s recipe.

1. It’s my mother’s cherished recipe: It’s unique compared to other recipes and it’s delicious.
2. Taste: The seasoning of rice is different than most other Korean kimbap that uses sesame oil. My kimbap recipe uses Korean plum extract and salt.
3. Beautiful look: my kimbap has a defined look because of the pattern created by the rice and the combination of ingredients. There’s a trick how to accomplish that look.

Ingredients for Kimbap

1. What do you put in Korean seaweed rice rolls?

• For vegetables; spinach, carrot, cucumber, Asian chives, watercress, perilla leaves, lettuce
• For pickled vegetables; radish pickles, cucumber pickles, jalapeno pickles, burdock roots
• For proteins; egg, canned tuna, beef, ham, bacon, pork or pork belly, shrimp tempura, seasoned anchovies, spicy shredded squid
• Other fillings; fishcakes, imitation crab meats, and etc

Depending on the ingredients you select, you can make yours vegan or vegetarian.

You can use any of the choices above to season your rice according to your taste. Typically, people like to season their rice with sesame oil and salt.

I am not a huge fan of a strong sesame oil fragrance in kimbap, though. My mother always used Korean plum extract to season her rice and everyone who tasted her kimbap voted hers the best.

3. Seaweed Sheet

You will see several kinds of seaweeds in Korean stores. Look for dark (almost black), dense, roasted seaweed sheet (Gim, 김) aka nori. Learn more about Korean seaweed in my pantry page.

How to choose and store Korean seaweed: If the seaweed has any hint of red or purple hue, avoid it. It is old and has turned rancid. Once opened, I recommend keeping your seaweed in the freezer for longer storage. Seaweed can go rancid easily if exposed to the sun and humidity.

How to make Kimbap

These are the classic kimbap fillings – spinach, carrot, egg, imitation crab meat, fish cake sheets, braised burdock roots, and radish pickles.

Step 1. Season the rice.

Drizzle 2 tbsp of Korean plum extract and a couple pinches salt over freshly cooked rice and toss well. Cover rice with a kitchen towel and let it cool.

Step 2. Prep the kimbap filling ingredients.

It’s convenient to use a store-bought radish pickles and burdock roots combo that can be easily purchased at Korean stores. Make sure to drain them well before using. Remove the plastic wrap from the imitation crab meat and set aside.

• For the egg: Beat eggs and cook in a skillet over medium heat in 3 batches. Roll them up and slice thinly
• For the carrot: cook shredded carrot in a skillet in a little bit of oil with some salt. Add 2 tbsp of water to create a steam and cover with a lid. Cook for 2 minutes until crisp but tender.

• For the fishcake: slice fishcake sheets thinly and stir-fry in a little oil for 1 minute over medium high heat. Mix together soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine in a small mixing bowl, and then add the mixture to the fishcake. Continue to stir-fry for another minute.
• For the spinach: blanch spinach in a pot of boiling water with some salt. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out the excess water. Place spinach in a mixing bowl and season with salt, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Toss well.

How to roll Kimbap

If you are beginner at rolling seaweed rice rolls, it might be a little daunting at the beginning and you might need a little bit of practice. However, you will soon learn to master the skill. Here is the easy to follow instructions.

Step 1. Create a Kimbap station

It’s important to have your ingredients ready and to create a kimbap station. Cut 3 sheets of seaweed in half and set aside.

Step 2. Spread rice evenly

Place a full sheet of seaweed, shiny side down, longer side toward you, on a bamboo rolling mat. Spread about 1 cup of rice (1/6 amount) evenly on the seaweed leaving 1 inch of space at the end. Lay a half seaweed sheet in the middle of rice.

Step 3. Layer the filling

Put filling ingredients on top of the half seaweed sheet in a contrasting color pattern.

Step 4. Roll firmly with bamboo mat

Lift the entire end of mat from your side with both hands, roll over to cover the fillings, tucking in the filling with your fingers. Put firm pressure on the roll and continue to roll again as you roll away the mat until it reaches to the end.

Step 5. Slice into even thickness

The finished kimbap should have an even thickness. Place on a platter, seam side down, while you are making another. Cut kimbap into 1/2 inch thick slices with a sharp knife.

How to Store

How long will kimbap last? Well, kimbap is best served on the day you made. You can leave kimbap in the room temperature for a few hours. Unfortunately they doesn’t taste as good if you keep them in the refrigerator too long.