Bulgogi

Bulgogi
Korean name
Hangul	불고기
Revised Romanization	Bulgogi
McCune–Reischauer	Pulgogi

Bulgogi (Korean pronunciation: [pulɡoɡi]; Korean: 불고기) is a Korean dish that usually consists of grilled marinated beef.

Etymology

The word Bulgogi literally means fire meat in Korean, and is derived from the Pyongan dialect. It refers to marinated meat, (generally beef if used without a qualifier), cooked using traditional grilling techniques such as gridirons or perforated dome griddles that sit on braziers, unlike deep frying or boiling in water. The term is also applied to variations such a dak bulgogi (made with chicken) or dwaeji bulgogi (made with pork), depending on what kind of meat and corresponding seasoning are used.

History

Bulgogi is believed to have originated from Goguryeo, when it was originally called maekjeok (맥적), with the beef being grilled on a skewer. It was called neobiani (너비아니), meaning "thinly spread" meat, in the Joseon Dynasty and was traditionally prepared especially for the wealthy and the nobility.

When made in households, Bulkogi is often (but not necessarily) made stewed in juice, wrinkly, extremely thin. Originally, Bulkogi was cut slightly thicker, at around 5mm and is neither wrinkly nor stewed in juice. Also, as recorded in Donggooksesigi, it was originally grilled on a Korean barbecue grill (Hwaro) still used in restaurants in concept, so the juice doesn't pool. The original Bulkogi was also made skewered on fire. This older style bulkogi is still made, mostly in restaurants but also in some households.

There are many similar styles of marinated meat dishes in Korea, such as Yangnyumkalbi, which is similar to the original style bulkogi. Aside from Yangnyumkalbi, even for the marinated meat types that are called Bulkogi, there are 3 main different styles: Seoul style, Kwangyang style, Unyang style.

In Chosunyorijebub (1939), Bulkogi was described as "thinly sliced meat [that] is marinated with soy sauce, crushed green onion, sesame, black pepper, sugar, then grilled." In medieval sushingi it says that "soy sauce and garlic are used". This is generally the same as modern Bulkogi. There is a claim that Yakiniku added sugar in the recipe, but Korean already sometimes added sugar into Bulkogi as visible from 1939. The recipe varied. According to Donggooksesigi, "in Seoul culture, Hwaro (BBQ tool) makes charcoal fire with metal Suksoi (a BBQ tool made by wires crossed horizontally & vertically). Beef is marinated with oil, soy sauce, egg, green onion, garlic, black pepper, etc. It is grilled. This is called Nanrohoi. Sutbulgui (Charcoal Fire Grilled Meat) is a food against cold which can be seen from this month."

The term Bulkogi (Bul means fire; Kogi means meat) was originally a Pyungyang dialect. Eventually, this Pyungyang dialect spread to all over Korea.

Korean marinated meat has been adopted in China and Japan. During the modern era, Korean Bulkogi has become a popular meat dish in Japan called yakiniku. Even in ancient China before China had developed cooking like today, Korean Maekjok (ancient Bulkogi) was imported & was very popular in China as much as Yehoi. The popularity was very high that Chinese being concerned about eating foreign food too much was recorded.

Japan's most famous Yakiniku region is Tsuruhashi (Korean Town in Osaka). In this region, there is a restaurant Tsuruichi that first started Yakiniku in Japan. According to Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Modern Japan by Michael Weiner, "Yakiniku is a Japanese word simply meaning 'cooked meat' and used to denote a grilled meat cuisine found in Korean restaurants in Japan. The mainland Korean equivalent is bulgogi but the two cuisines are not entirely the same. Yakuniku is a variant of cooked meat that has been modified by Zainichi Koreans to appeal to Japanese tastes."

Preparation and serving

Bulgogi, Korean grilled beef

Bulgogi is made from thin slices of sirloin or other prime cuts of beef. Before cooking, the meat is marinated to enhance its flavour and tenderness with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, pepper, and other ingredients such as scallions, ginger, onions or mushrooms, especially white button mushrooms or matsutake. Pureed pears and onions are often used as tenderizers. Sometimes, cellophane noodles are added to the dish, which varies by the region and specific recipe.

Bulgogi is traditionally grilled, but pan-cooking has become popular as well. Whole cloves of garlic, sliced onions and chopped green peppers are often grilled or fried with the meat. This dish is sometimes served with a side of lettuce or other leafy vegetable, which is used to wrap a slice of cooked meat, often along with a dab of ssamjang, or other side dishes, and then eaten together.

In popular culture

Bulgogi is served in barbecue restaurants in Korea, and there are bulgogi-flavoured fast-food hamburgers sold at many South Korean fast-food restaurants. The hamburger patty is marinated in bulgogi sauce and served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and sometimes cheese. It is similar to a teriyaki burger in flavour.

The October 2011 issue of Jamie Magazine featured a stall selling bulgogi steak baguettes outside of Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium. The same stall was featured in Nicholas Lander's food column in the Financial Times in October 2012.

See also

• Korean barbecue
• Kalbi
• Korean cuisine
• Korean royal court cuisine
• List of beef dishes
• Regional variations of barbecue
• Korean taco
• Bibimbab

External links

• Popular Korean Food | Bulgogi | Grilled Marinated Beef | 불고기
• (Korean) Bulgogi, Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles
• Traditional Bulgogi Recipe, Korean-Cooking.com
• Bulgogi Recipe using ingredients from a Western supermarket, Konglish Kitchen