Mayak Gimbap, Mini Korean Seaweed Rice Roll

Check out our video on how to make delicious radish kimchi, KKakdugi!


   See detailed recipe here.

 

prep time:  30 min   inactive time:  0 min   cooking time:  50 min   total time:  80 min
spiciness:  0

Mayak gimbap literally translates into "narcotic gimbap." No, it does not have any special substance in it. It's just highly addictive, hence the name. Mayak gimbap's ingredients are very simple. But, the simple ingredients in combination of the gimbap's unique sauce are incredibly delicious. It's become very popular in Korea because it's easy to make, extremely cute and fun to eat.

Mayak gimbap is a relatively modern invention. It is believed to originate from a street vendor at a farmer's market in Korea. While gimbap can be versatile in terms of its ingredients, the original mayak gimbap is made with only three ingredients, carrot, spinach and danmuji (yellow pickled radish) and is always accompanied by the dipping sauce (while most korean gimbap is meant to be served without dipping sauce).

For Koreans, gimbap is one of those foods that brings back warm and fuzzy memories. The nostalgia likely includes picnics and school field days, where gimbap was nearly essential. It also frequently shows up on birthday party tables. Although gimbap is closely associated with special occasions, it's also an everyday food pretty much seen everywhere, including convenience stores, service stations, cafeterias, and restaurants.

Gimbap has evolved quite a bit over the years. Back in the day when Koreans were poor, it was just seaweed and rice with maybe one vegetable. Today It is much more elaborate and nutritious. Gimbap to Koreans is like sandwiches to North Americans; it's very common, yet never gets old. On top of being delicious, it's nutritious, portable and versatile.

There are an infinite number of variations in gimbap. Sharing gimbap with friends at a school picnic was fun because each family adds a different twist, whether it's a special ingredient, unique shape or size. You can always make your own signature gimbap by adding your favorite ingredients or seasonings, or by making different shapes.

See other variations of gimbap:

Classic Gimbap
Petal Shape Gimbap recipe
Tuna Gimbap
Kimchi Gimbap
Nude Gimbap

 

*The default serving of this recipe is set to 2. For this recipe, 2 servings refer to about 14 mini rolls of gimbap. Please note that ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions are for the default serving size.

kitchen tools
- 1 bamboo mat for rolling
- 1 small to medium pot or rice cooker for rice
- 1 large bowl to mix up rice
- 1 small pot to blanch spinach
- 1 small to medium pan for sautéing carrots

Get gimbap ingredients delivered to your door here.

 

 

Optional Ingredients and Substitution
- There is no set of rules for gimbap ingredients. You can substitute most ingredients with your favorite ingredients. However, danmuji (yellow pickled radish) is key to authentic Korean gimbap. Season the ingredients with sesame oil and either salt or soy sauce unless it's already salty without any seasoning (e.g., crab meat).

Whatever you use, ensure they don't produce liquid. The liquid will go through the rice and leak out or make the roll soggy. Remove moisture by squeezing with hands or by pat-drying with clean towel. If you must use moist ingredients, place them on top of perilla leaves or something else that acts as a barrier between the rice and the ingredient.

Most common ingredients used in gimbap in Korea include danmuji (yellow pickled radish), spinach, cucumber, carrot, perilla leaf, burdock root, crab meat, fish cake, egg, beef, cheese, ham, beef, kimchi, tuna mixed with mayo, etc.

Good to Know
Size and flavor of gimbap
You can make various shape and size of gimbap.
To make gimbap smaller and also more flavorful, make the rice layer as thin as possible.
You can also decrease the size by cutting 2-3" off of the seaweed.

Storage
Gimbap tastes best when it's freshly made. In room temperature, it can last 4-6 hours. In a hot summer day, it may only last an hour or two.

The leftover ingredients may last a day or two with an exception of seasoned spinach. Make sure you don't put all the ingredients in the same container or at least use cling wrap or aluminum foil as dividers so they are not touching each other. Seasoned spinach is delicious but doesn't last as long as other ingredients. For this reason, some people prefer cucumber over spinach in their gimbap.

More questions? Please leave your questions below in the comment section. We will do our best to answer as soon as we can.


Follow Crazy Korean Cooking