Pat: Call it gimbap of kimbap, it’s still the same thing: cooked rice, vegetables, and protein rolled in sheets of seaweed, which is called Gim In Korean. Many people confuse it with Japanese sushi, but they are very different. Gimbap is made with cooked protein while sushi can have raw fish in it. Gimbap uses sesame oil. Sushi uses rice vinegar.
When trying Gimbap for the first time, I didn’t know any of these distinctions, and I was surprised it didn’t taste like sushi. For the eaters who don’t like raw fish, Gimbap is life changing. They can look like they are adventurous, but they don’t have to be. They can hide behind all those cooked ingredients!
Gimbap rolls are large like maki sushi rolls. They are a bit unwieldy to be eaten with chopsticks, but it can be accomplished. I have never seen gimbap eaters just grab them with their hands. In fact, I can’t think of anything Koreans eat with their hands. It’s always a spoon and those dreaded metal chopsticks.
And who made the world aware of Gimbap? Park Eun-bin in Extraordinary Attorney Woo, of course!
I'm incredibly impressed that Pat knows this stuff.... now I know why I like gimbap better than sushi! ~ Judy
I don't think I'll learn to properly use chopsticks in this lifetime. It goes well for a few bites and then my fingers get mixed up. But I keep using them until I finish my meal, I won't ask for regular utensils.
I like bibimbap better, it's basically the same: rice, veggies and some protein but in a hot pot and an egg on top. At home I make my own version of it: rucola, wild salmon, kimchi, avocado, some kind of noodles, eggs and lots of gochujan. I can eat this everyday (at home, that is, because I eat out at Korean restaurants when I'm not at home).