Ssam

Ssam, sometimes also transliterated as ssäm, literally meaning "wrapped", refers to a dish in Korean cuisine in which, usually, leafy vegetables are used to wrap a piece of meat such as pork or other filling. It is often accompanied by a condiment known as ssamjang and can also be topped with raw or cooked garlic, onion, green pepper, or a banchan (small side dish) such as kimchi. Ssam is usually bite-sized to avoid spilling out the fillings.

History

According to the book of customs, Dongguk Sesigi, ssam was eaten by the women of the Goryeo era who had been taken as maids or ladies of the court to Mongol's Yuan Dynasty, and by the end of the Joseon era, ssam had become an established seasonal dish. On the day of Daeboreum, the ssam that was eaten on that holiday was called bokssam (복쌈, good fortune ssam).

Ssam is also slowly gaining popularity outside of Korea and is being served at restaurants in New York City and Tokyo.

Variations

Various vegetables are used as ingredients such as lettuce, cabbage, bean leaves, and pumpkin leaves, which are used either raw or blanched. Seaweed such as miyeok (sea mustard seaweed) and gim (dried laver) are also used. Ssam can be used to refer to dishes using beef tongue, roe, pork, clams, or sea cucumbers wrapped and cooked in eggs.

By ingredients

• Bossam: with steamed pork, e.g. shoulder and is a popular dish throughout Korea.

• Ssambap is a dish in which rice is included.

By wrap type

Specific types:

• Gimssam (김쌈), wrapped with gim, seaweed
• Sangchu ssam (상추쌈), wrapped with lettuce
• Baechu ssam (배추쌈), wrapped with napa cabbage leaf
• Kkaenip ssam (깻잎쌈), wrapped with perilla leaf
• Chwi ssam (취쌈), wrapped with chwinamul
• Hobakip ssam (호박잎쌈), wrapped with pumpkin leaf
• Kimchi ssam (김치쌈), wrapped with kimchi
• Jeonbok ssam (전복쌈), wrapped with sliced and soaked dried abalone
• Muneo ssam (문어쌈), wrapped with sliced octopus
• Po'ssam (포쌈), wrapped with seasoned raw beef
• Gotgam ssam (곶감쌈), wrapped with dried persimmon
• Milssam (밀쌈), wrapped with a thin crepe made from wheat flour
• Eossam (어쌈), wrapped with thin fish filet

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  Leaves used for wrapping in ssam dishes

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  Bossam dish from Gwangju

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  Milssam, wrap with thin pancakes

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  Roseupyeonchae (로스편채), vegetables wrapped in roasted beef slices

See also

• Sandwich wrap
• Korean cuisine
• Korean taco