Kinds of Jjigae Spicy and Rich Korean Cuisine with Flavor
These are some of the types that are often served at home or in large and small restaurants.
- Budae Jjigae
This Korean stew typically combines seaweed and anchovies broth with kimchi, baked beans, spam, and hot dog sausage, while common additions also include ramen noodles, pork chops, potato noodles, tteok, or tofu.
Budae jjigae is also known as army soup. This dish was created as a true fushion dish sometime in the 1950s, after the Korean War. Because food was scarce, locals would smuggle any processed meat products they could find at American military bases.
Thanks to ingenuity and resourcefulness, Koreans created budae jjigae. This dish is believed to have originated from a military base located in Uijeongbudong. The best part about Korean Army Stew is that connoisseurs can mix ingredients based on what they have in their pantry or fridge.
So there is no need to go to the store to buy certain additives. Fun is not it? Try budae jjigae if you don't want to walk to the grocery store before cooking dinner and you might be surprised at the results you get.
- Kimchi Jjigae
Kimchi goes well with almost any meal, so it's only natural to focus on its unique flavors in the stew. Kimchi jjigae is one of South Korea's most popular stew dishes and the soup's popularity is not surprising given that kimchi itself is so famous.
While the vegetables and meats included in the stew can vary from restaurant to restaurant depending on the choice and what's available, the most popular versions of kimchi stew include tender, savory pork, scallions, and lots of kimchi.
To make kimchi jjigae, simply mix the spicy kimchi with pork or beef and a little water or stock in a clay or metal saucepan, and let it simmer for at least half an hour, or until the cabbage is soft and almost melted.
The smell of kimchi jjigae is incomparable. If the kimchi is too sour, you can add a spoonful of gochujang or a little sugar. The stew is served hot, and the red chili flavor is spicy with fermented vegetables, a little fat from the meat, and very piquant.
- Sundubu Jjigae
Looking for the perfect snack on a cold, rainy winter's day, try this amazing soft tofu soup for a few different reasons. First, sundubu jjigae combines different flavors but makes the magic happen in the mouth.
The combination of silky soft tofu, kimchi broth, eggs and seafood is the strength of this stew dish. The contrast of textures between seafood, tofu, and eggs is delightful.
Second, it's a great Korean dish if you're looking for a protein-packed meal. Between eggs, tofu, and seafood, you have three different types of protein that come together to keep you full.
Be sure to serve warm rice to enjoy with it. You can use the rice to absorb the last few spoonfuls of soup when the bowl is almost empty. Look for this Korean food served with various types of Korean BBQ.
- Doenjang Jjigae
Doenjang jjigae is a simple savory soup, an everyday dish in Korean homes. This dish is a concoction made from whatever ingredients you have in the fridge and pantry and made with daenjang, which is fermented soybean paste.
This pasta is common to many Korean cooks in the fridge. Then add the potatoes or onions in the pan, and any vegetables, like zucchini and chilies, that may be around. Doenjang comes in various stages of fermentation. The darker the pasta, the stronger the taste.
Different from Japanese miso, which is soft and smooth, doenjang is traditionally styled, with chunks of fermented soybeans, which are generally strained during the cooking process, and the end result is richer in flavor than typical Japanese miso soup .
The basis of Doenjang jjigae is broth or water with instant dashi, dried anchovies, or meat for flavor, simmered with vegetables and then doenjang and tofu, with the final touch of adding scallions.
- Kongbiji Jjigae
Kongbiji jjigae is a jjigae made with cream of soaked soybeans. Traditionally, this stew is made with soy porridge left over from making tofu. Kongbiji jjigae is also usually made with soybeans that are finely soaked and then mashed in a blender with water.
Powdered soybeans are added to stews of pork ribs, garlic, broth, usually anchovies or instant dashi, and sometimes kimchi. The soy mixture bubbles when it gets hot. The scallions were added for a bit of bitter crunch at the end.
Kongbiji jjigae is sometimes served with extra kimchi and soy sauce, chili powder, toasted sesame seeds, garlic, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. You can also replace the kimchi with boiled cabbage for a milder taste.
All you need is a bowl of rice with a warm, smooth, spicy, meaty and filling soup. This is the ultimate winter comfort food.
- Cheonggukjang Jjiggae
Quick-fermenting bean paste is made by boiling new soybean plants in the fall and then storing them in a warm place for a few days. Salt, garlic, ginger and crushed red chilies are added to the fermented beans.
Then the mixture is rolled into small balls. Cheonggukjang jjigae is made from this paste by adding minced meat, kimchi grated cabbage or radish slices, tofu, scallions, and garlic.
How to eat cheonggukjang jjigae is accompanied by a bowl of rice. Most Koreans mix rice with a spoonful of stew.
- Ahl jjigae
Ahl is a seasoned pollack roe, often served as a salty banchan with a seafood flavour, or with rice, garnished with a dash of sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. To make this jjigae, seasoned eggs are boiled with broth, tofu, and red chili powder.
The ahi is quite salty, so you don't need to add a lot of seasoning, but the stew balances the unique taste of seafood with the seasoning of red chili and cream of tofu. The cooking process turns tiny eggs from slightly runny to hard, and squeaky, very filling to eat.