What does 김밥 (gimbap) mean?
- 김밥gimbap
Seaweed rice rolls
Fine in most situations
김밥 (gimbap) is a Korean dish of rice and fillings rolled in dried seaweed and sliced into bite-size rounds. It is cheap, easy to carry and loved as a picnic and on-the-go food.
Where it comes from
It is made of 김 ("dried seaweed sheets") and 밥 ("cooked rice").
How to use 김밥
Gimbap looks a bit like sushi rolls, but the rice is usually seasoned with sesame oil and salt rather than vinegar, and fillings are typically cooked, such as egg, pickled radish, spinach, carrot, ham or tuna.
Many Koreans remember parents making gimbap for school picnics (소풍). You can buy it cheaply at snack shops and convenience stores.
It is counted in rolls with 줄, so one roll is 김밥 한 줄. 김밥을 싸다 means "to make (roll) gimbap".
Examples
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Ordering at a snack shop
Telling a friend about lunch
Planning a picnic
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 김밥 한 줄 | One roll of gimbap | 줄 is the counter for rolls. |
| 참치김밥 | Tuna gimbap | A popular filling. |
| 꼬마김밥 | Mini gimbap | Small, thin rolls. |
| 김밥을 싸다 | To make gimbap | Literally "to wrap gimbap". |
Questions learners ask
Is it kimbap or gimbap?
Both are correct spellings of 김밥. Gimbap follows the official romanization, and kimbap is the older, very common spelling.
Is gimbap the same as sushi?
No. They look similar, but gimbap rice is seasoned with sesame oil instead of vinegar, and the fillings are usually cooked rather than raw fish.