Budae Jjigae

Budae Jjigae (부대찌개) or army base stew, is what I would call Korean fusion food done wonderfully right.  It’s basically kimchi jjigae with a bunch of junk food thrown in the pot.  These items can include ramen noodles, spam (or other similar canned meats), ham, sausage, hot dogs, processed cheese, baked beans, macaroni, ddeok, ground beef, tofu, and dang myeon (glass noodles).  Sounds kinda gross, but it’s one of my all-time favorite soup/stew dish in Korea.  It really hits the spot in this cold weather.

It’s a really hearty and satisfying dish.  I don’t even need any other banchan, just give me a bowl of rice and I’m set.  All the good shit is in the pot anyways.  I’m not a big fan of Korean ramen, but I LOVE eating ramen noodles in budae jjigae.  I consider it a requirement in the dish and it’s probably why the dish is so filling.  Some restaurants will pull a dick move and charge extra for the noodles.

The dish also has a story behind it.  Back in the Korean War, during tougher times, Koreans had to make due with the crap left over from the US Army bases.  And just like that, the dish was born.  If you’re not afraid to eat processed meats, give it a try some time.