Korean food 3: Rice ball 'Jumeok-bap: fist rice'

What is your main food in your country? Is it bread?

Here in Korea, like in many other asian countries, our main food is rice. So we have many varieities of rice dishes.

One of the easiest way of cooking and eating rice is this one 'Rice ball', which is called 'Jumeok-bap; 주먹밥' in Korea.

Jumeok means a fist in korean and bap means cooked rice here.

Yes, it is literally a combination of the word 'a fist' and 'cooked rice, but means cooked rice ball. You can go to a shop or take-out restaurant and ask for 'Jumeok-bap' in korean pronunciation.

In Wikipedia, it says:

"Jumeok-bap or rice ball is a lump of cooked rice made into a round loaf the shape of a fist. Rice balls are a common item in dosirak (a packed meal) and often eaten as a light meal, between-meal snack, street food, or an accompaniment to spicy food."

For general definition of Rice ball, it says

A rice ball may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a ball shape. Rice balls exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten, and are particularly prevalent in Asia.

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INGRIDIENTS

The main incridients for cooking this rice ball is definitely cooked rice but it should be sticky rice. If you already have cooked rice, you can just add salt, sesame or whatever you like to stuff in it. Other incredients you might want is listed below:

• fried vegetables such as:
  cucumber or carrot

• roasted sheet of seeweed ('gim' in korean)

• dried small anchovy

• sesame oil

• or whatever you like to add!

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If you want healthier recipe, you can use

• sticky brown rice instead of white policed rice and
• natural whole food ingredients such as natural salt or sugar.

It's so easy to make, carry with your for picnic or to work. Try it and let me know. Bon appetit~!!

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(Some of the photo shots are taken by me, and some are from public sites including Pixabay)

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